Sandra Rees facts for kids

Professor Sandra Rees is a highly respected scientist from Australia. She is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. This means she is a senior academic who helps with research and teaching. Her main research helps us understand how the brain can get hurt before or around birth. This includes problems from low oxygen, infections, alcohol, slow growth, or being born too early.

Early Life and Learning

Sandra Rees was born in Melbourne in 1942. When she was 10, her family moved to Sydney. She went to the University of Sydney and earned her first science degrees in 1963 and 1965. During this time, she studied how our eyes and brain work together to help us see.

In 1965, Sandra won a special scholarship to study in London. She went to University College and earned another degree in 1968. She then returned to Melbourne. At Monash University, she earned her PhD in 1977. She learned to use a special microscope called an electron microscope. This allowed her to look very closely at the tiny parts of the brain.

This work made her very interested in how the brain grows and develops. She studied how things like low oxygen, infections, or alcohol can harm a baby's brain. She worked with doctors to create ways to study these problems. She also looked for ways to protect developing brains from injury. In 2011, the University of Melbourne gave her a Doctor of Science degree. This was for her amazing work in understanding the brain.

Her Work as a Scientist

In 1984, Professor Rees started working at Monash University. She did important research there until 1992. Then, she moved her research lab to the University of Melbourne. She became an Associate Professor in 1999 and a full Professor in 2007.

Professor Rees has taught many students about the brain and how it develops. She has also helped many young scientists with their research. She has worked with other scientists around the world. These include groups in Paris, France, and at universities like Harvard and Oxford. She has given talks at big international meetings. She also helps review new scientific papers and research proposals.

She has written over 140 scientific papers. She has also helped write books about the brain. Professor Rees has guided 13 students to get their PhDs. This shows how much she has contributed to science.

Outside of Work

Even after retiring, Professor Rees stays very involved in science. She used to lead a science committee for the Royal Society of Victoria. She still takes part in their events.

She also volunteers for a science radio show called 'The Uncertainty Principal'. You can hear it on Vision Australia Radio. She is also on the board of directors for Life's Little Treasures Foundation. This charity helps children who are born sick or too early.

Awards and Honors

Professor Sandra Rees has received many awards for her important work:

• 2019 - Inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Victoria. This was for her great contributions to science in Australia.
• 2008 - Nina Kondelos Award from the Australian Neuroscience Society. This award is for outstanding work in brain science.
• 2004 - Australian Academy of Science – Scientific Visits to Europe Award.
• 1993 - Award from the Italian Science Foundation and Catholic University of Rome.
• 1991 - Ian Potter Foundation Travel Award, Vice Chancellor's Foundation Travel Award, Medical Faculty Travel Award.
• 1988 - Ian Potter Foundation Travel Award, Trust Fund of Australia Travel Award.
• 1974 – 1977 - Commonwealth Scholarship for her PhD studies.
• 1965 – 1966 - Lady Leitch Scholarship for overseas study.