Before the University of NSW's David Wilson started working in Armenia many of the country's HIV patients were dying from disease-related infections, a trend that had been reversed around the world since the development of antiretroviral drugs in the mid-'90s.

''It reminded me of what was happening here in Australia in the 1980s when we didn't have any treatments,'' said the epidemiologist, who has a background in medicine and economics.

Since Dr Wilson, who works with governments from low- to middle-income countries to manage epidemics, convinced the Armenians to start using proven therapies in 2011 the country's AIDS-related deaths have fallen from about 34 per cent of those with the disease to 0.3 per cent.

‘‘A lot of pride was at stake for them because they’d put a lot of money and resources around their drug,’’ he said.

For the global impact of his research, Dr Wilson, an associate professor, was awarded the Eureka Prize for emerging leader in science at a gala dinner at Sydney's Town Hall.

In Australia, Dr Wilson has also demonstrated the health and economic benefits of needle-exchange programs, which resulted in clinics being set up around the country.

‘‘I often don’t see the people [my work] influences or affects but I see the bigger picture - the shifts in policy, the changes in funding that change the health of the population - and I get tremendous satisfaction from that,’’ he said.

Others awarded at the annual prizes included a team who developed a program to encourage farmers to plant native shrubs for livestock feed. The Enrich project team, led by CSIRO, found grazing livestock on native plants could improve a farmer's profitability by up to 24 per cent in low- to medium-rainfall areas, as well as decrease greenhouse gas emissions and erosion.

Two-time Eureka prize winner and evolutionary biologist Rick Shine, from the University of Sydney, was honoured for mentoring young researchers and UNSW’s Rob Brooks, also an evolutionary biologist, was awarded for promoting the understanding of science with his award-winning book, Sex, Genes and Rock ‘n’ Roll,  as well as his regular columns and TV and radio interviews.

The night's top award, the Eureka Prize for leadership in science, was won by nanotechnology expert Frank Caruso from Melbourne University. The material scientist is best known for developing nano-sized materials that can improve vaccines and drug delivery or to generate sharper imaging from MRI scans.

He was also a member of the team that won the prize for interdisciplinary scientific research that developed nano-scale diamond sensors that can light up the insides of cells.

with Bridie Smith