Melissa Little is internationally recognised for her research on kidney development and her pioneering studies into renal regeneration. Her work, featured on the front covers of Nature and Nature Cell Biology, describing the generation of kidney organoids from human pluripotent stem cells. This breakthrough opens the door to kidney disease modelling, drug screening and the bioengineering of replacement kidney tissue. Together with a strong track record of commercial translation, Little has been a leader in Australian science policy through her membership of both the Wills and McKeon reviews of Health and Medical Science.