Fellowship

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences elects the best and brightest minds in the field of medical and health sciences as Fellows.

Fellows are elected in recognition of their outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions to the sector. The Fellowship are acknowledged for their clinical, non-clinical, leadership, industry and research contributions.

About Fellowship with AAHMS

Find Fellows of the AAHMS

To find Fellows of our Academy either use the search form below or download the full list of current Fellows here.

Name

Position

Level

Elected

State

Division Head Early Brain Science
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
2023
VIC

Professor Anne-Louise Ponsonby has extensive experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of population-based studies and trials. She is a co PI of a large birth cohort that generated knowledge, translated into action, that led to an 80% reduction in sudden infant death syndrome incidence in Australia, from 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 0.2 live births in 2012. Ponsonby’s recent work combines population epidemiologic approaches with system biology. Ponsonby has an active role in public health translation, most recently in relation to plastic exposure in early life and the human health effects of chemical mixtures.

Professor of Clinical Epidemiology
Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney
2023
NSW

Professor Angela Webster focusses on leveraging maximum value and efficiency from existing health data through integrating evidence to shape health service delivery. She has an international reputation for meta-analysis, and for linking health data, including developing and applying new methodology to answer questions prioritized by clinicians and patients. She is particularly interested in moving beyond average effects to understand, mitigate and redress inequities in health outcomes experienced by the disadvantaged. She researches multimorbidity and kidney disease, and the interplay between health literacy and effective patient self-management. Her research impacts lived patient experience and has resulted in policy change globally.

Director of Research
Austin Health
2023

Professor James Best is a distinguished endocrinologist who has made highly significant contributions to diabetes research including in discovery research and research into clinical problems including in regional Australia, primary care and the indigenous community. He has also been an outstanding leader in academic medicine in Australia and Singapore and is recognised globally as a clinician, academic, teacher and administrator. He has contributed at a senior level to the NHMRC and to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He continues to be active as Director of Research at Austin Health.

Head, Immunology & Immunodeficiency Lab
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
2023
NSW

Professor Stuart Tangye heads the Immunology & Immunodeficiency Lab at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney. A Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2018, he is internationally recognised for his expertise and leadership in the fields of human molecular and cellular immunology and inborn errors of immunity (IEI) which result in genetic immune diseases. Combined with his extensive leadership positions and networks, as well as his deep commitment to capacity building, mentoring and outreach, Professor Tangye would undoubtedly make valuable contributions to the work of the Academy.

St. Vincent’s Hospital
The University of Melbourne
2023
VIC

Professor Mandana Nikpour, rheumatologist, epidemiologist and NHMRC Fellow at the University of Melbourne is a globally recognised researcher in connective tissue diseases, scleroderma and lupus. Her prize-winning multidisciplinary research has informed understanding of disease aetiology and led to development of outcome measures, screening tests, and clinical trials of novel therapies, shaping international practice guidelines. She leads numerous collaborative research consortia. Her work with patient organisations and industry partners has raised public awareness of scleroderma and lupus, influenced policy, and facilitated research translation. She has an outstanding record of mentoring and building sustainable research capacity in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Head, Department of General Practice, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences
Monash University
2023
VIC

Professor Danielle Mazza is an internationally distinguished general practice clinician researcher and Head of the Department of General Practice at Monash University. Her research and leadership have been highly influential in reducing inequities in access and improving the quality of clinical care delivered in general practice in women’s sexual and reproductive health, preventive care, the early detection of cancer and antimicrobial stewardship. A strong proponent of evidence-based care, she has led and contributed to the development and implementation of key general practice guidelines used nationwide and provides expert advice to professional, government and policy groups nationally and around the world.

Division Head and Group Leader
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI)
2023
VIC

Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha is a haematologist, epidemiologist and molecular biologist who leads the world’s most preeminent research program on global health anaemia control, with a record of resolving key evidence gaps, making transformative scientific discoveries, and translating knowledge into policy at the highest international level through multiple WHO guidelines. He has first/ senior author publications in leading journals including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Global Health, BMJ, Science Translational Medicine, Blood and Nature Communications. Prof Pasricha’s work has been cited ~6100 times and his H-index is 41 (Google Scholar). He received the 2022 Jian Zhou Medal from AAHMS.

Head, Transfusion Research Unit
Monash University
2023
VIC

Professor Erica Wood is an international authority on blood transfusion and Australia’s leading expert in transfusion practice and research. She Heads Monash University’s Transfusion Research Unit and is consultant haematologist at Monash Health. Her research has generated knowledge to improve transfusion supportive care and built national research capacity benefitting patients, blood donors and the community. Her expertise has been recognised with appointments to 6 WHO expert committees, as RCPA Chief Examiner in Haematology, and the only person to serve as president of the Australian & New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion and the International Society of Blood Transfusion and International Haemovigilance Network.

Professor of Medicine and Academic Director, Westmead Applied Research Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health
University of Sydney
2023
NSW

Professor Clara Chow is clinician scientist internationally recognised as an innovator in cardiovascular disease prevention and care delivery. Prof. Chow’s digital health innovation work has attracted national and international awards from government, peak academic bodies, and industry. As first female President of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand, Prof Chow has shaped the discourse on workforce diversity in cardiology as well as the public conversation on how diversity and equity can influence cardiovascular health outcomes. Professor Chow is Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre, University of Sydney and Clinical Lead Community Based Cardiac Services, Westmead Hospital.

Metcalf Family Cancer Research Fellow and Laboratory Head
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
2023
VIC

Professor Andrew Wei is an internationally recognised leader in the field of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). He has led nationwide trial development in Australia for 14 years as the AML chair for the ALLG. His laboratory has made pre-clinical contributions to the clinical development of BH3-mimetics in AML culminating in the regulatory approval of venetoclax by the FDA in 2020 and the Australian PBAC in 2021. Wei’s lab has conducted research studies investigating the molecular mechanisms of response and resistance to venetoclax-based therapy. He leads the AML program at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and a research laboratory at WEHI.

Our Fellows sit at the heart of everything we do. They represent Australia’s leading minds in health and medical sciences, having been recognised for their clinical, non-clinical, leadership, industry and research contributions.

To be considered for election to the Academy’s Fellowship, a candidate must show exceptional professional achievement in a field related to health and/or medicine.

Fellows contribute to the projects and activities of the Academy and must be willing to be active participants.

Successful Fellowship candidates will have shown:

  • Outstanding leadership in their field.
  • Significant and ongoing involvement with issues of health care, prevention of disease, education, research, and health services policy and delivery.

Candidates for Fellowship should meet the following criteria:

  • National and International recognition for excellence in health and medical science
  • Significant, sustained and ongoing contributions to advance health and medical science in Australia (relative to opportunity)
  • Contribution to the profession through leadership and mentorship
  • Raised public understanding and promoting health and medical science in the broader community

Download criteria for Fellowship

Each year, current Fellows of the Academy are invited to nominate up to four new candidates who meet the criteria and fulfil the required expectations.

Nominations by a Fellow of two new candidates must ensure that at least one nomination is a woman. Nominations by a Fellow of four new candidates must ensure that at least two nominations are women.

How to make a nomination

Fellows wishing to nominate a candidate for Fellowship should contact the secretariat to confirm candidate eligibility and receive and instructions on how to submit the completed nomination documentation online. 

Fellows wishing to nominate a candidate for a Corresponding Fellowship should contact the secretariat for more information.

Secretariat contact details
Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07 3102 7220

Nomination guidelines for ordinary Fellowship

October 2023
Newly elected Fellows of 2023 are inducted at the Annual Meeting.

18 September 2023- 30 November 2023
Nominations are invited from existing Fellows until the closing date of 30 November.

December 2023
Nominations allocated to Selection Committees.

January – April 2024
Referees’ reports sought.

Early May 2024
Selection Committees meet to consider nominations and provide final recommendations to the Council.

Early-to-mid-July 2024
Council meets to finalise recommendations.

Late July 2024
Full Fellowship invited to comment on recommended new fellows.

August 2024
Election results are shared with proposers and candidates (under embargo).

October 2024
Newly elected Fellows of 2024 inducted at the Annual Meeting.

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