New leader for ANU Medical Research

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb AC has announced that psychiatrist Julio Licinio, currently Miller Professor at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine, will take up the position of JCSMR Director early September.

Professor Chubb said that Professor Licinio had impressive international standing and would bring significant experience as a researcher, teacher and academic leader to the school.

“Professor Licinio has an outstanding track record in research in an area that is of national importance to Australia — the genetics at the interface of obesity and depression,” Professor Chubb said.

“He is in the top 1% of his field worldwide and has proven himself to be an energetic and innovative academic leader. I look forward to seeing him continuing the work of previous directors of JCSMR.”

Professor Chubb also paid tribute to Professor Frances Shannon for stepping up to lead the school following the retirement of Professor Judith Whitworth. Professor Shannon will continue to play a key leadership role in the school.

Professor Licinio has more than 200 scientific publications and two patents and his work is highly cited.

He is founding editor of the journals Molecular Psychiatry and The Pharmacogenomics Journal.

Professor Licinio said he was looking forward to joining ANU and continuing his research in Australia.

“Obesity and metabolic syndrome are truly epidemic in Australia, which now has one of the highest obesity and overweight rates in the world: over 50% of the adult population in Australia is overweight or obese. Depression is also a major and growing problem,” he said. “I look forward to contributing to decreasing the burden of disease and to identifying new treatment strategies for these two common and complex disorders.

“The opportunity to join an internationally renowned research institution like ANU is one that I will relish," he said.