National Science Week 2026
Sydney Grammar School celebrated Science Week with a series of engaging events, including visits from five Old Sydneians.
It was a pleasure to welcome back some distinguished Old Sydneians who were eager to share the diverse journeys that their passion for science has taken them on. Associate Professor Mark Cowley (OS 1998), Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake (OS 1989), Dr Rowan Gillies (OS 1988), Mr Julian Malnic (OS 1973), and Mr Michael Leu (OS 1973). Together with Professor Hilda Pickett and Mr Dave Sammut, their stories showcased the remarkable breadth of opportunities that can grow from a lifelong passion for science.
Pictured in Header: Trivia Firsts
Science Trivia and a Form III victory
A highlight of Science Week was the fiercely contested Science Trivia competition, with nineteen pupil teams and one team of Science masters competing to answer eclectic questions on topics ranging from areology to flightless birds to phlegm. In a thrillingly close finish, the masters team narrowly defeated the winning pupil team, consisting of Aditya Paul, Ethan Huang, Jeffrey Zhou and Austin He (all Form III), by only a single point. The competition was full of excitement and noisy anticipation, with some impressively obscure knowledge on display. Who knew that so many Grammar boys were experts in pinnipeds?
The Future of Childhood Cancer Treatment
Associate Professor Mark Cowley (OS 1998), Deputy Director at the Children’s Cancer Institute and Group Leader of Computational Biology, spoke to Form IV about Australia’s Zero Childhood Cancer Program, a world-leading precision medicine initiative.
Associate Professor Cowley explained how analysing the genetic features of each child’s tumour can help guide diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. He shared inspiring stories of children successfully treated through precision medicine after conventional treatments had been exhausted.
Form IV were able to examine cancer genomes alongside healthy genomes to identify mutations responsible for disease, gaining a unique insight into how advances in precision medicine are offering hope to children with cancer and their families.
Pictured: Professor Mark Cowley
The Infectious Disease Detectives
Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake (OS 1989), an infectious diseases specialist and medical media expert, spoke to Form III about his work investigating emerging unusual infectious diseases. The boys were fascinated by the case studies, including an 8 cm worm discovered in a patient’s brain and a boy who developed meningitis after ingesting a slug. He explained how diagnosing such cases can involve extensive detective work, requiring doctors to piece together symptoms, travel history, environmental exposures and dietary habits.
Associate Professor Senanayake also highlighted the importance of careful clinical investigation, explaining that an initial diagnosis is not always the correct one. In the case of the brain worm, doctors initially suspected an autoimmune condition and later a tumour, with the true cause only discovered during surgery.
Pictured: Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake
Science with Purpose
In Assembly, Dr Rowan Gillies (OS 1988) spoke passionately about the responsibility of scientific advances to help people and improve lives. A Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, Dr Gillies has particular expertise in skin cancer reconstruction, burns and complex head, neck and lower limb reconstruction.
He has also spent much of his career working overseas with Médecins Sans Frontières in major crisis and conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dr Gillies challenged our pupils to look beyond themselves and consider how their interests, skills and opportunities might be used to make a meaningful difference in the world.
Pictured: Dr Rowan Gillies
Cellular Immortality
Professor Hilda Pickett, Head of the Telomere Length Regulation Unit at Children’s Medical Research Institute and Conjoint Professor at the University of Sydney, spoke at a lunchtime session about the molecular mechanisms that control telomere length, genomic stability, and cellular immortality. Our pupils were fascinated to learn how technological advances have transformed genomic research and to consider what the future might hold, including the tantalising possibility of cellular immortality.
Pictured: Professor Hilda Pickett
Pictured: Mr David Sammut
Closing the Loop
Mr Dave Sammut, founder of Loop Hydrometallurgy, gave a fascinating lunchtime talk exploring the intersection of chemistry and mineralogy. He discussed the need for more environmentally friendly ways to extract metals from ore, replacing traditional methods that are energy-intensive and reliant on toxic chemicals. At the heart of his talk was an infectious passion for science and a reminder of the rewards that come from following one’s curiosity: “And for a brief moment, I feel like I could understand the universe. And that’s why I love science.”
Mining Innovation and Opportunity
Form V Earth and Environmental Science pupils had the opportunity to hear from entrepreneur, geologist, and innovator Mr Julian Malnic (OS 1973), who explored how science and mining create opportunities for innovation and business worldwide. Drawing on his extensive experience in the resources sector, Mr Malnic discussed developments ranging from deep-sea mining to emerging space technologies, highlighting the growing demand for engineers and scientists and the importance of mining to Australia’s economy and technological future. Through considering misconceptions about mining, the boys learned about the environmental assessments, community consultation, and sustainability measures that underpin modern resource development, coming away with a deeper understanding of the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
Pictured: Mr Julian Malnic
Pictured: Mr Michael Leu
Unearthing the Extraordinary
Mr Michael Leu (OS 1973) spoke to a mixed group of pupils and masters in a lunchtime session about how his lifelong passion for geology developed into an extraordinary career. From school holidays spent camping and searching for gold, opals, gemstones and fossils, his curiosity has led to discoveries across multiple academic fields, including identifying new goldfields in Australia, ten new species of trilobites in New South Wales, and the site where the infamous bushranger Thunderbolt was fatally shot near Uralla in 1870.
His work has taken him around the world, often to remote and unexplored locations, demonstrating the exciting opportunities that can arise when scientific passion is combined with curiosity.
Ms Briahannon Campbell, Second Master Science and Dr Erin Sheridan, Senior Master Academic Extension Science
Sydney Grammar School
College Street, Darlinghurst
NSW 2010 Australia
Phone: (02) 9332 5800
Edgecliff Preparatory School
Alma Street, Paddington
NSW 2021 Australia
Phone: (02) 9366 0100
St Ives Preparatory School
Ayres Rd, St Ives
NSW 2075 Australia
Phone: (02) 8302 5200
