A University of the Sunshine Coast professor who is leading vaccine development to safeguard Australia's iconic koala from extinction has been named a Queensland Great.
USC Professor of Microbiology Peter Timms, a global expert in chlamydia infections in both humans and animals, received the honour at a Queensland Greats Award ceremony at Brisbane City Hall on 6 June.
The awards recognise the efforts and achievements of extraordinary Queenslanders for their remarkable contribution to the history and development of the state.
"This unexpected honour demonstrates the benefits of turning research into reality," said Professor Timms, who has spearheaded the research needed to understand, and act on, the two major koala disease threats of chlamydia and koala retrovirus.
"It shows that if you have the passion and dedication, as well as a quest for knowledge, then it is possible to use the scientific approach to understand enough about real-world challenges and eventually take this to the stage where it can make a real difference," Professor Timms said.
