[Music plays and an image appears of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science medallion in the centre screen, and text appears beneath: Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska, PHD]
[Image changes to show a wind vane on a pole in a city]
Prof Lidia Morawska: Air is invisible. Most people take it for granted.
[Image changes to show Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska walking towards the camera past a large building, and then the image changes to show a close view of Lidia as she walks]
Understanding the air is extremely important from many different angles but for us, for our health, it is the most important thing which we take into our bodies.
[Images move through to show Lidia seated and talking to the camera, Lidia walking towards the camera, and the “International Laboratory for Air Quality” sign, and the medallion and text appears: Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska]
I am Lidia Morawska, Distinguished Professor at the Queensland University of Technology and also the Director of the International Laboratory of Air Quality and Health.
[Image changes to show a side view of Lidia talking to the camera]
I am working on the science of the air.
[Image changes to show a close and then medium rear view of Lidia walking towards a large digital map, and then the image changes to show a close facing view of Lidia looking at the map]
The motivation for my work is to improve health, improve life, improve wellbeing of society.
[Images move through to show a close profile view, a close facing view, and then a view of Lidia seated and talking to the camera]
Air doesn’t obey any borders, any barriers, air moves around the world.
[Images move through to show a side profile view of Lidia looking up at a map, and then the camera zooms in on her face as she looks up]
So what’s emitted somewhere else comes ultimately to other places as well.
[Image changes to show a rear view of Lidia looking at the digital map]
So it is of global importance.
[Images move through to show various views of Lidia working on a computer, a medium view of Lidia seated and talking to the camera, and then a close view of Lidia talking to the camera]
During the previous SARS epidemic we added to our portfolio of research activities investigations about particles from human respiratory activities, particles which potentially carry viruses.
[Images move through to show Lidia’s finger pointing to an aerodynamic particle machine screen, and then views of Lidia and another researcher looking at the machine and talking together]
An ultrafine particle is a particle smaller than 100 nanometres. It is something which we can not see and it is the smallest what we can measure.
[Images move through to show a facing view of Lidia and the researcher, and then the image changes to show medium and close seated views of Lidia talking to the camera]
So following our studies when COVID 19 pandemic started we were prepared.
[Images move through to show Lidia and a colleague in conversation, Lidia’s hands typing on a keyboard, the screen she is working on, and then views of Lidia talking to the camera]
As a result of our explaining to the world, to the public authorities, new guidelines were put in place recommending cleaning the air.
[Images move through to show Lidia and colleagues looking at paperwork together]
Collaboration in the field of air quality and its impacts is absolutely critical.
[Image changes to show Lidia seated and talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show Lidia and colleagues looking at a model together and talking]
There’s basically so many disciplines which need to be included to encompass all of this and to make from the research to the implementation.
[Image changes to show medium and then close views of Lidia seated and talking to the camera]
To receive the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, it is something incredible.
[Images move through to show Lidia and a male colleague looking at paperwork and talking, Lidia and a female colleague in conversation, and Lidia and a male colleague looking at a model]
There is still a long way to go so I am not looking backwards but I am looking forward, how much is still to be done.
[Music plays and the image changes to show Lidia smiling at the camera]
[Image changes to show the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science medallion on the left, and the Australian Government Coat of Arms on the bottom right, and text appears in the centre: 2025 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science]
