Singapore: BioSA revealed that names of the awardees of the BioSA Bioscience Achievement Awards at its Welcome Reception for the AusBiotech Business Development Forum, held in Glenelg, Adelaide, Australia. The presentation was conducted by the Honourable Grace Portolesi, Minister for Science and Information Economy and Mr Graham Walters, BioSA board member.

Inaugurated in 2007, the BioSA awards recognize those in the community who have made an important contribution to the development of South Australia's bioscience sector. Mr Walters said that the caliber of the nominees this year was outstanding and that it was difficult to select a winner. "However the two recipients are not only the best in the South Australian bioscience sector they are current and future leading lights in their fields," he said.

Mr Victor Previn was named winner of the Industry Leader Award. He founded Ellex Medical Lasers and has been its chairman since July 2005 and is also its technical director since February 2005. He has been an executive director of Ellex Medical Lasers since July 16, 2001.

He developed the proprietary technology involved in the development of an ophthalmic laser for eye surgery, a product being produced today by Ellex Medical Lasers, now a listed company on the Australian stock exchange. There are over 15,000 units of this product installed in surgeries and hospitals all over the world. He was an active member of the State Government Manufacturing Consultative Committee, which advised the government on strategies for growth and sustainability in the manufacturing sector .

Dr Sheehan was named winner of the Young Achievers Award. He is principal scientist for Screening Technologies at TGR Biosciences and has led the R&D for TGR's advanced protein detection technologies that are attracting major international attention. Dr Sheehan has contributed to company strategy and his leadership has resulted in collaborations, commercial grant applications, development of intellectual property and technology commercialization.