Life scientists recognised in Australian Academy of Science awards

The Australian Academy of Science has today handed out its annual awards for achievement across all sciences, with three young life scientists receiving gongs.

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute's Dr Benjamin Kile received the Gottschalk Medal for a series of major discoveries that have shed new light on blood cell formation and function.

The Gottschalk medal, named in honour of biochemist Dr Alfred Gottschalk, recognises outstanding research in the medical sciences by researchers less than 40 years of age.

One of Dr Kile's best-known discoveries was that platelets, tiny cells essential for blood clotting, are born with a short, predetermined lifespan and when their biological clock runs out, they are programmed to commit suicide.

This finding solved a 100-year-old mystery about platelet biology and has implications for blood transfusions and cancer treatment.

Dr Ulrike Mathesius from the Australian National University received the Fenner Medal for research in biology (excluding the biomedical sciences) for her work in plant proteomics.

She is investigating how soil microbes shape the plant. She developed and applied techniques at a molecular, cellular and whole plant level to define mechanisms that symbiotic and pathogenic organisms use to manipulate plant development.

A central idea of her work is that microbes have 'hijacked' plant signalling pathways for their own purposes. This has implications for utilising microbes to alter crop plant performance and for trying to develop nitrogen-fixing symbioses in non-legumes.

Professor Aleksandra Filipovska from the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research received the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for research in human genetics.

The award recognises research in human genetics and honours the contribution to science in human cytogenetics by the late Ruth Stephens Gani.

Filipovska has made significant contributions to the field of human mitochondrial gene expression and developed new technologies to investigate mitochondrial nucleic acids and the roles of proteins that regulate the expression of genes encoded on the mitochondrial DNA.

She has also discovered several mitochondrial proteins that are important for energy production and consequently cell health, and developed new tools to modulate mitochondrial gene expression and is using them currently as potential therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by mutations in the mitochondrial genome.

The AAS also issued awards to researchers across the sciences, including:

2013 Career research awards

• Professor Kenneth Freeman FAA FRS, Australian National University - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture for scientific research of the highest standing in the physical sciences (announced previously).
• Professor Peter Lay FAA, University of Sydney - David Craig Medal for research in chemistry.
• Professor Matthew Wand FAA, University of Technology Sydney - Hannan Medal for research in statistical science.
• Professor Cheryl Praeger AM FAA, University of Western Australia - Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal for research in mathematics or physics.
• Professor Roger Powell FAA, University of Melbourne - Jaeger Medal for research into earth sciences.

2013 Early-career research awards

• Dr Lisa Alexander, University of New South Wales - Dorothy Hill Award for female researchers in the earth sciences including reef science, ocean drilling, marine science and taxonomy in marine systems.
• Dr Wouter Schellart, Monash University - Anton Hales Medal for research in earth sciences.
• Dr Aurore Delaigle, University of Melbourne - Moran Medal for research in statistics Associate Professor Christopher Blake, Swinburne University of Technology - Pawsey Medal for research in physics.
• Professor Sebastien Perrier, University of Sydney - Le Favre Memorial Prize for research in basic chemistry.

2013 Research support awards Dr Isaac Santos, Southern Cross University will receive research support under the WH Gladstone Population and Environment Fund.

The following researchers will receive research support under the Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals:

• Mr Phil Bouchet, University of Western Australia
• Ms Amanda Edworthy, Australian National University
• Ms Claire Foster, Australian National University
• Mr Bastian Egeter, University of Otago, New Zealand
• Ms Jenny Molyneux, Charles Darwin University
• Ms Katrin Schmidt, James Cook University

"It is the Academy's privilege to recognise excellence in diverse fields of science," said Academy President, Professor Suzanne Cory.

"These awards celebrate both career-long contributions by some of Australia's most distinguished researchers and remarkable discoveries made by younger investigators."

"Each recipient is an outstanding scientist. On behalf of the Academy I warmly congratulate each of these individuals on their remarkable achievements in science."

Australian Life Scientist would like to heartily congratulate all the recipients of the awards