Indian-origin Chennupati Jagadish awarded Australia's highest civilian honour. 6 facts about the famed scientist

Chennupati Jagadish, an Indian-origin physicist, neurologist, and distinguished professor, has been awarded Australia's highest civilian honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Here are five facts about the famed professor:

1) Chennupati Jagadish is a professor of Physics at the Australian National University Research School of Physics and Engineering.

2) He is presently the head of the Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Nanotechnology Group at the Australian National University.

3) According to a report in the Guardian, Professor Jagadish's projects include a new class of lasers that can help in telecommunications and "new lightweight solar cells with increased efficiency". The report also notes how he's been working on what he calls 'brains on a chip' or "artificial, trainable neurons."

4) Chennupati did his PhD in Physics from the University of Delhi. He then worked at Sri Venkateswara College, New Delhi, as a lecturer in Physics and Electronics. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Queen's University Physics department during 1988-90.

5) He then moved to the newly established Department of Electronic Materials Engineering in the Research School of Physics and Engineering.

6) Jagadish and his wife have launched a The Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish Endowment to help students and researchers from developing countries to visit Australian National University Research School of Physics and Engineering.

The Guardian report quotes Jagadish saying that he "hopes his award will increase awareness of the value of science, even if it means more work."