Parasite expert named as one of Australia’s best science teachers

Claire Halliday
Claire Halliday

A professor from the Australian National University (ANU), who helps humanity deal with the deadly consequences of parasites, has been named one of Australia’s best science teachers.

Professor Alexander Maier, from the ANU Research School of Biology, has taken out the top science category gong in the 2023 Australian Awards for Teaching Excellence.

The award was announced by Universities Australia earlier this week and recognises Professor Maier’s innovative approach to teaching the science of parasites, including through pop culture and even a flea circus, to challenge students’ preconceptions and create deeper understanding.

“Led by research, Alexander’s interdisciplinary, concept-based approach has generated exceptional outcomes in undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as professional development programs both nationally and internationally,” his award citation reads.

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“Alex uses authentic tasks, role-play and popular culture anecdotes to make parasitology a hands-on learning experience that extends well beyond the walls of the lecture theatre.”

Professor Maier’s teaching also aims to help students appreciate the role of parasites in ecosystems, rather than seeing them solely as threats to human and animal health.

“My students come into my courses knowing that parasites threaten the health of millions of people,” Professor Maier says. “But they don’t think about how they stabilise ecosystems and drive biodiversity. We also learn how to deal with complex systems and challenge our own values and moral compass.”

Finding solutions to global problems

Professor Maier’s research is focused on understanding the basic biology of malaria parasites and how this knowledge can help unlock more effective treatments for deadly diseases.

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“We try to understand how the parasite actually causes disease and what the parasite needs to survive in the human body,” Professor Maier says of the research team he leads.

“No matter how fundamental our research is, there’s always in the back of our minds — can we exploit this kind of mechanism we have discovered? How can we interfere with it? Does that influence a drug regime or policy? There is this constant jump from molecular to society and society back to molecular.”

Although ongoing research into how to tackle malaria may seem slow to the untrained eye, Professor Maier says scientists have been at the heart of significant – and life-changing – change.

“Over the last 20 years, we have reduced the number of malaria deaths by one-third,” he says. “This is not bad progress in the fight against a disease that plagued humankind for millenia.”

But with malaria still killing hundreds of thousands of people around the world each year, Professor Maier says finding long-term solutions is very difficult, with drug resistance presenting a critical issue.

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“Very often, we have effective drugs, but the parasites are smart. And they continuously find ways to circumvent the action of drugs and become resistant,” he says.

“They are like a fine-tuned Formula One car. They’re so good at what they are doing, finding hosts and infecting them. And then, of course, spreading and getting to the next host.”

Professor Maier says complacency around disease can have devastating consequences.

“Parasites are a global problem; therefore, you need global solutions.”

Sharing knowledge with tomorrow’s scientists

Professor Maier says he is passionate about passing on his knowledge to the next generation of scientists.

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“Each student has their own ambition and their own talents,” he says.

“And it’s my job to try to find out what drives those students and try to bring out the best of them so that they can contribute to the problem that those parasitic diseases actually represent.”

In announcing the awards, Universities Australia Chair Professor David Lloyd said “teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world”.

“And universities simply couldn’t do what they do each year without them. These awards recognise the most outstanding teachers and programs across the sector, celebrating university teachers at different stages in their careers, from early-career academics to those who have devoted a lifetime to learning and teaching.”

The awards, Professor Lloyd said, acknowledge “exceptional university programs and teachers and say thank you for the commitment they display each and every day”.

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Claire Halliday has an extensive career as a full-time writer - across book publishing, copywriting, podcasting and feature journalism - for more than 25 years. She lives in Melbourne with children, two border collies and a grumpy Burmese cat. Contact: claire.halliday[at]brandx.live