A contributor to discoveries at the large hadron collider at CERN, the researcher who determined the molecular mechanism behind coral bleaching, and a leader in human disease gene-mapping are among 20 new Fellows to be elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2013.
Representing leading research scientists from institutions around Australia, the Australian Academy of Science annually honours a small number of Australian scientists with election to the Academy for their outstanding contributions to science.
“I applaud all of our new Fellows for their internationally significant achievements in a broad range of scientific disciplines,” said Academy President, Professor Suzanne Cory.
The new Fellows will be admitted to the Australian Academy of Science and present summaries of the work for which they have been honoured at the Academy’s annual three-day celebration, Science at the Shine Dome, on 29 May in Canberra.
Also today the Academy announced the election of two Corresponding Members – researchers living and working overseas who have made a significant contribution to science and who have strong connections with Australia.
Dr Benjamin Hardwick Andrews FAA
Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University
Works on differential geometry and related partial differential equations and is well known for his work in geometric evolutions.
Professor Matthew Arthur Brown FAA
Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland
Played a significant role in the development of genome-wide association studies. Has also mapped genes responsible for monogenic forms of arthritis, ectopic bone development and skeletal dysplasias.
Professor David James Craik FAA
Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland
Made important discoveries in structural biology, particularly in the structural elucidation of peptide toxin. He discovered the cyclotide family of circular knotted proteins.
Professor David Alexander Day FAA
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Flinders University
International leader of research into plant mitochondrial respiration and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. His mitochondrial research has provided a model for the integration of carbon metabolism, mitochondrial electron transport and respiratory gene expression in plants.
Professor Yuri Estrin FAA
Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University
A world leader in materials science who has significantly advanced physically based materials modelling. The models associated with his name have become classic and are broadly used for calculating mechanical behaviour of materials.
Professor John Richard Evans FAA
Research School of Biology, Australian National University
Internationally renowned for elucidating the nitrogen economy of photosynthesis, and his work on carbon dioxide diffusion within leaves, and the intellectual framework for molecular research aimed at raising crop yields by engineering photosynthesis.
Professor Bryan Malcolm Gaensler FAA
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, University of Sydney
Made fundamental contributions to understanding the Universe through research on high-energy astrophysics, cosmic magnetic fields and the structure of our Galaxy.
Dr Andrew Wollaston Hassell FAA
Department of Mathematics, Australian National University
A leading Australian mathematical analyst, who specialises in the spectral theory of partial differential equations, and harmonic analysis of manifolds, making significant contributions to a diverse range of areas of mathematics.
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg FAA
Global Change Institute, University of Queensland
Discovered the molecular mechanisms that trigger coral bleaching and was one of the first scientists to identify coral bleaching and ocean acidification as major threats on coral reef ecosystems and marine ecosystems. His discoveries have directly influenced global policy through their integration of the thermal physiology of corals with projections of future sea temperatures.
Professor Ian Neil Sandford Jackson FAA
Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University
Researching the physical properties of earth materials and their application in understanding the Earth’s interior structure and behaviour, he has developed innovative laboratory studies of seismic properties, with special application to olivine-rich rocks of the Earth’s upper mantle.
Professor Sharad Kumar FAA
Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology
Made ground-breaking contributions to the understanding of programmed cell death and the regulation of protein homoeostasis.
Professor Max (Gao Qing) Lu FAA
ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Queensland
A world leading scientist in materials science and chemical engineering, he has made many significant and sustained contributions including the new method for synthesis of highly reactive single crystal TiO2, new insights into the surface chemistry and modifications of nanoporous materials, molecular engineering of membranes and efficient photocatalysts for clean energy and water.
Professor Boris Martinac FAA
Cardiac Research Unit, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
A leading membrane biophysicist, he is known for his pioneering studies of ion channels in microbes, particularly the discovery, cloning and structural and functional characterisation of mechanosensitive ion channels in bacteria.
Professor James Cleland Paton FAA
School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide
Has made major scientific contributions to the field of pathogenesis and prevention of bacterial infectious diseases, with particular reference to the human pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae and Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli.
Dr Richard Anthony Richards FAA
CSIRO Plant Industry
The world leader in the use of physiological traits in the breeding of crop plants, he developed an approach now used widely which integrates understanding of the physiological basis of grain yield in drought-prone environments with the molecular and genetic bases of influential physiological traits.
Professor Michael Andrew Sandiford FAA
Melbourne Energy Institute, University of Melbourne
Has made important contributions to metamorphic geology, tectonics, earthquake geology, geomorphology and geothermics with a special focus on the young tectonic activity in the Indo-Australian tectonic plate.
Professor Geoffrey Norman Taylor FAA
ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, University of Melbourne
Played a major role in the design and construction of the advanced detectors for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr Brian Harrison Walker FAA
CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences
Ecologist at the forefront of the inter-disciplinary area of resilience in complex adaptive systems.
Professor Andrew Gerard White FAA
School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland
Pioneered world-leading experiments in quantum computation and quantum optics.
Professor Bryan Raymond George Williams FAA
Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University
Internationally recognised for his work on innate immunity and mechanisms of interferon action.
Professor Chunli Bai
President, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Has made many important contributions in developing new research techniques and methodologies, and applying them to research in chemistry and molecular sciences. Has made many contributions to promote the scientific and technological cooperation between Australia and China.
Professor Birger Lindberg Møller
Plant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Has made exceptional contributions to the areas of photosynthesis, bio-active natural products and synthetic biology. Has an extensive engagement with Australian science, including service as Chairman of the Federation Fellowships Selection Committee for the Australian Research Council, hosting numerous Australian researchers, and ongoing research collaborations with four separate Australian institutions under ARC Linkage Projects.
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