Fellows celebrated in King’s Birthday Honours

Six Academy Fellows have been recognised in the King’s Birthday 2026 Honours list for their outstanding contributions to science, tertiary education and leadership. 

Professor Terence Tao AC FAA FRS (Corresponding Member) – appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to the mathematical sciences, to the global mathematics community and to tertiary education and academia. 

Professor Terry Tao, a Corresponding Member based at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), was just 30 years old when he was elected to the Academy in 2006 – the same year he won the Fields Medal. Known as the ‘Mozart of Maths’, Professor Tao’s mathematics research is renowned for its depth and breadth, often making unexpected connections between fields to solve long-standing problems. 

Emeritus Professor David Blair AO FAA – appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to physics, to precision measurement science, to gravitational wave research and to scientific education. 

Emeritus Professor David Blair is a physicist at The University of Western Australia who pioneered the science that enables gravitational wave detection – a feat first achieved in 2015. This groundbreaking work earned him and three other physicists the 2020 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. Professor Blair’s discoveries span three different precision measurement concepts, including inventing an ultra-precise sapphire clock. He also co-developed an award-winning education initiative, Einstein-First, that teaches children about modern physics. 

Professor Jozef Gécz AO FAA FAHMS – appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to human translational genetic science, to genomic research, to child health and to neurodevelopmental disability. 

Molecular geneticist Professor Jozef Gécz, of Adelaide University, has discovered more than 350 different genes linked to brain function, including genes involved in intellectual disability, autism and cerebral palsy. These findings have revealed new and unexpected biological pathways for brain development and led to better management and treatment of neurological conditions. 

Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti AM FAA FAHMS – appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to immunology, to microbiology and to clinical research and education. 

Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti is an immunologist at Monash University who investigates how the immune system responds to viruses without causing damage to the body. Her findings inform improved treatment strategies – for example, her team developed a preclinical strategy to prevent cytomegalovirus infection in bone marrow and organ transplant patients, work which won the 2019 Eureka Prize for Scientific Research.  

Emeritus Professor Zheng-Xiang Li AM FAA – appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to geoscience and Earth dynamics research and to tertiary education. 

Emeritus Professor Zheng-Xiang Li, of Curtin University, is a geoscientist who has transformed our understanding of the large-scale forces that shape Earth's tectonic movements. He played a key role in discovering two pre-Pangea supercontinents called Rodinia and Nuna, extending our palaeogeography knowledge back to two billion years ago. 

Professor Ryan Lister AM FAA – appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to biochemistry, to genetic science and to neuroscience. 

Professor Ryan Lister is a genome biologist at The University of Western Australia who has made major advances in understanding the epigenome – the molecular code layered on top of DNA that controls how genetic information is read and used. He developed techniques that enabled the first precise map of the complete human epigenome. In 2020, he was awarded joint Scientist of the Year at the WA Premier’s Science Awards.