The 2026 COMBS Annual Workshop has just wrapped up in Wollongong.

It was a fantastic four days of presentations, poster sessions, team building and plenty of laughs with more than 120 members of our COMB-unity from across the world.

Together we explored astronomy, precision sensing and measurement, seismology, data communications, laser physics, microscopy and spectroscopy, and education and equity, diversity and inclusion.

The inaugural COMBS Awards

Research excellence doesn’t happen in isolation – it grows through people and collaboration. Our inaugural COMBS Awards aimed to celebrate just that!

At our 2026 COMBS Annual Workshop, we were proud to recognise outstanding individuals and teams across all career stages whose contributions continue to strengthen our Centre and research community.

A massive congratulations to all our award recipients!

✨ Early Career Research Impact Award – Gabriel Britto Monteiro

✨ Early Career Research Outreach and Engagement Award – Prina B.

✨ Early Career Research Award – Caitlin Murray

✨ Team Impact Award – HDR Connect Organising Committee (Megha Sharma, Madeline Hennessey, Ruth Waterman, Gabriel Britto Monteiro, Evan Diamandikos and Jorge Acosta)

✨ Team Outreach and Engagement Award – “Microcomb On Tour” Team (Ben Saunders, Caitlin Murray, Chawaphon (Park) Prayoonyong, and Bill Corcoran)

✨ Team Outreach and Engagement Award – Early Career Researcher Forum (Lisa Haerteis, Sonya Palmer and Toby Mitchell)

✨ Team Research Award – The High Index Glass Microring Survey Team (Yang Sun, Toby Mitchell, Caitlin Murray and Chawaphon (Park) Prayoonyong)

✨ Mentoring and Supervision Award – Irina Kabakova

✨ Director’s Commendation Award – Caitlin Murray

✨ Director’s Special Award – Martijn de Sterke

✨ COMBS Best Poster Award (HDR Students) – Lantian Wei

✨ COMBS Best Poster Award (ECRs, Research Staff & Associate Investigators) – Lisa Haerteis

We’re looking forward to continuing this spirit of innovation, collaboration and collective growth throughout the year ahead.

Well done all!

See highlights from the event in the photo gallery below.

COMBS Award winners