The Academy has admitted two internationally renowned scientists as Corresponding Members, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar (India) and Professor Rüdiger Wehner (Switzerland), who are recognised for their outstanding scientific contributions to their fields.
Dr Mashelkar is a highly successful polymer chemist and an influential leader in shaping innovation within India's science and technology policies. He has driven international collaborations between India and Australia through his work in education, research and innovation partnerships with Monash University, Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University and the Australia–India Institute.
Professor Wehner, from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has been recognised for his world-leading research on animal navigation (neuroethology).
Spending over 40 years studying the Saharan desert ant Cataglyphis, Professor Wehner was the first scientist to show how ants, despite their tiny brains, are capable of performing extraordinary feats of navigation through desert landscapes.His research has increased scientists’ understanding of the evolution of nervous systems and their role in controlling animal behaviour.
From the Saraha desert to the Australian outback, Professor Wehner’s lifelong interest in insect navigation has also seen him team up with Macquarie University’s Dr Ken Cheng to study the navigation patterns of the red honey ant, Melophorus bagoti.
Dr Mashelkar and Professor Wehner join the Academy’s 29 other Corresponding Members, comprising leading international researchers and science advocates with strong links to Australia.
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