The Queen’s and Kingston communities have the opportunity to hear from a group of leading researchers at the university as they discuss a range of topics − from medicine’s past to the challenges of deep tunnel mining − at the annual Prizes for Excellence in Research Public Lectures.

The free, public lecture event – being held April 11, starting at 4:30 pm at the School of Medicine Building (15 Arch St.) − will see each of the 2015 prize recipients present an engaging 15-minute overview of their work, delivered with a non-specialist audience in mind. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

“The faculty members recognized with the Prize for Excellence in Research are internationally-recognized researchers who have made significant and important contributions to their fields,” says Dr. Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research). “One of my favourite annual events, this public lecture series gives attendees an opportunity to learn more about the cutting-edge research that is happening across disciplines right on campus. ”

This year's lecturers are Anne Croy (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences), Jacalyn Duffin (History of Medicine), Mark Diederichs (Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering) and Guojun Liu (Chemistry).

Dr. Croy is an internationally-recognized expert and leader in reproductive immunology research. Her lecture, titled Pre-eclamptic Pregnancy; An Immunological Puzzle with Postpartum Impacts, will serve as an introduction to her pioneering work identifying and characterizing uterine natural killer cells.

As the Hannah Professor in the History of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen's, Dr. Duffin is a pioneer in the medical humanities and an internationally-renowned leader in the field of history of medicine. Her lecture, Questioning Medicine’s Past, will discuss her research on the history of medical technology, scientific discovery, history of medical practice and the investigation of concepts of disease.

Dr. Diederichs’ lecture, Deep Tunnelling: Challenges, Risks and Rewards, will focus on his research on the failure of rock, and on safe engineering design for excavations in challenging geological conditions at great depth. Continually advancing standards of practice in underground engineering, he has published 240 contributions, has given numerous invited keynote lectures and is sought after to instruct industry short courses.

First attracted to Queen’s University as a Canada Research Chair in 2004, Dr. Liu’s pioneering work on polymer self-assembly has bloomed and inspired scientists around the world. His lecture, Nanostructured Polymer Materials for Applications, will demonstrate some of the innovative and ground-breaking applications he and his research team have developed for these materials, including functional textiles and anti-fingerprint coatings for electronics.

For more information on the Prizes for Excellence in Research Public Lectures, please visit the website.