Eleven Eureka Prizes were awarded to individual women or teams made up entirely or predominantly of women in a ceremony at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday night.
The awards recognised outstanding achievement across scientific research, innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.
Australian Museum director Kim McKay said the winners list, across 19 categories, showed how scientific excellence could turn bold ideas into practical benefits for all Australians.
"This year's winners are tackling some of our greatest challenges: protecting our environment, advancing healthcare, informing public policy and inspiring the next generation of scientists," Ms McKay said.
"World-changing discoveries do not happen overnight - they are built on years of dedication, collaboration and sustained investment."
Professor Georgina Long was awarded the Prize for Scientific Research for her work in pioneering neoadjuvant immunotherapy - which helps shrink tumours and trains the immune system - and transforming melanoma treatment and survival outcomes.
Dr Jane Tiller won the Emerging Leader prize for her decade-long campaign that led to Australian life insurers being banned from using genetic test results, and consequently removing a major barrier to potentially life-saving genomic testing.
Associate Professor Helen Paterson was awarded the Forensic Science prize for advancing how courts and police understand victim-survivor testimony in domestic and family violence cases.
The Environmental Research prize was awarded to the CSIRO and Tasmania's Bureau of Meteorology for marine heatwave forecasts, which deliver Australia's first operational long-range forecasts for unusually warm ocean temperatures.
Dr Lila Landowski, who makes neuroscience accessible through her TEDx talk, viral videos and media appearances, was awarded the prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.
Distinguished Professor Maree Teesson was recognised twice, receiving both the Leadership in Science prize and the Societal Impact in Science prize as part of the OurFutures Vaping Program team, which empowered children to avoid vaping through digital lessons co-designed with students and teachers.
The Sustainability Research prize was awarded to Professor Yansong Shen, who developed a low-cost, scalable, portable process to recover valuable metals and silicon from used solar panels.
Dr Aidan Cashin was recognised as Outstanding Early Career Researcher, for changing chronic pain care by determining which treatments help, why they work and how to deliver them widely.
The Infectious Diseases Research prize was awarded to the Women's Microbiome Innovation Group, including Dr Erica Plummer, Professor Catriona Bradshaw and Dr Lenka Vodstrcil which proved that bacterial vaginosis was sexually transmitted.
Their trials proved that treating male partners improved the vaginal condition's cure and was cost-effective.
Australian Museum researcher Dr Frank Köhler received the Research Institute Medal for his internationally significant work documenting Australia's mollusc diversity, describing more than 100 new species of land snail.
Dr Köhler's remarkable work had "expanded scientific understanding of Australia's biodiversity", Ms McKay said.
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