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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

Professor Sarah Medland

OAM FAA FASSA FAHMS
Senior Principal Research Fellow; Head of Psychiatric Genetics; Coordinator, Mental Health Research Program
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
2019
QLD

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Professor Sarah Medland
OAM FAA FASSA FAHMS

Professor Sarah Medland’s work bridges Genetics, Psychology, Neuro-Imaging and applied Statistics with a focus on understanding the genetic and environmental contributions to human behaviour and disease. Sarah was instrumental in founding the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis consortium. This large international consortium brings together researchers from more than 50 cohorts from around the world. Sarah has played an integral role in the development of this multidisciplinary project and provided strong leadership chairing the genetics working groups. Sarah’s international reputation and research achievements are highlighted by the awards she has received.

Professor Gail Risbridger

AM FAHMS
Professor and Head, Prostate Cancer Program
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University & Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
2019
VIC

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Professor Gail Risbridger
AM FAHMS

Professor Gail Risbridger is an International leader in prostate cancer and Men’s Health. Her world class program of patient derived xenografted specimens that is used for translational preclinical discovery and testing, lead or are incorporated in global alliances (e.g. US Army DOD partnership, Movember GAP program). She serves on Governance bodies (e.g. Cancer Council Victoria, State Board PCFA, Freemasons Foundation for Men’s Health) and on the executive of Andrology Australia. She was a leader in development of a National Men’s Health policy in 2010 and is currently an NHMRC Fellow Senior Principal Research Fellow.

Professor Katherine Kedzierska

FAHMS
Laboratory Head
The Doherty Institute
2019
VIC

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Professor Katherine Kedzierska
FAHMS

Professor Katherine Kedzierska is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne. She is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Head of Human T cell Laboratory. Over the past 19 years, working in the field of Immunology, Professor Kedzierska defined universal and broadlyprotective T-cell immunity to seasonal, pandemic and newly-emerged influenza viruses. She provided an understanding why some groups, including Indigenous Australians, elderly and patients with co-morbidities succumb to severe influenza disease. Professor Kedzierska, with 138 publications at 16 years after PhD, has been recognised by a number of prestigious Awards and Fellowships.

Professor Russell Gruen

FAHMS
Dean, College of Health and Medicine
The Australian National University
2019
ACT

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Professor Russell Gruen
FAHMS

Professor Russell Gruen is Dean of the ANU College of Health and Medicine and a surgeon at The Canberra Hospital. Previously he was Professor of Surgery and Public Health at Monash University and Director of the National Trauma Research Institute, after which he led health technologies and international partnerships at Nanyang Technological University Singapore.
He has made substantial contributions to care for the severely injured, and strengthened research infrastructure with a national trauma registry, a prehospital clinical trials network, and novel evidence-based medicine capabilities. He is recognised for influential work on professional ethics, and interdisciplinary research with strong emphasis patient benefit.

Professor Clare Collins

AO FAHMS
Laureate Professor
The University of Newcastle
2019
NSW

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Professor Clare Collins
AO FAHMS

Professor Clare Collins is an internationally recognised researcher and a sought after media commentator on the science of food and nutrition. Prof Collins’ research is transforming the way medical nutrition therapy is delivered and valued in both clinical and public health settings. Her research develops and validates eHealth nutrition interventions for people at specific lifestages such as pregnancy; or with non-communicable disease, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, who have an increased risk of diet-related morbidity and mortality. Prof Collins is recognised as an international leader in eHealth technology innovations that address barriers to improving the diet-related chronic disease through translation of research outcomes to the community.

Professor Karen Canfell

FAHMS
Director, Cancer Research Division
Cancer Council NSW
2019
NSW

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Professor Karen Canfell
FAHMS

Professor Karen Canfell is internationally recognised for her work on optimising cervical cancer screening in the era of HPV vaccination and on the prospects for cervical cancer elimination. Based on evidence generated by her team, in 2017 the Australian National Cervical Screening Program transitioned from two-yearly Pap smears to five-yearly primary HPV screening – as a result Australia is set to be the first country to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue. Her team’s work on the global impact of scaled-up cervical cancer prevention initiatives is supporting the World Health Organisation’s call-to-action towards global cervical cancer elimination.

Professor Sarah Wilson

FASSA FAHMS
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Life)
The University of Melbourne
2019
VIC

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Professor Sarah Wilson
FASSA FAHMS

Professor Sarah Wilson is an internationally recognised expert in Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology. Her research program has advanced our understanding of how the human brain underpins our thinking and behavior. She has pioneered music brain research in Australia, showing how music can enhance brain function in healthy individuals, and help recovery after brain injury. She has also described a new clinical syndrome that occurs following treatment of brain disorders, leading to better management of the cognitive, emotional, and social difficulties faced by individuals as they recover. Her work has been awarded multiple prizes and changed clinical practice around the world.

Scientia Professor George Paxinos

AO FAA FASSA FAHMS
NHMRC Senior Principal Research Scientist
Neuroscience Research Australia
2019
NSW

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Scientia Professor George Paxinos
AO FAA FASSA FAHMS

Neuroscientists, no less than geographers, require accurate maps, coordinate systems, nomenclature and ontologies for navigation and communication. Professor Paxinos is the leading cartographer of the brain and spinal cord. He has advanced our understanding of the organisation of the central nervous system (CNS) of both humans and the main animal species used in neuroscience. Most scientists working on the human CNS, or animal models of disease, use Paxinos’ atlases and concepts of brain and spinal cord organisation. His work is of importance to many disciplines, including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, psychiatry, neurology and neurosurgery.

Professor Julian Savulescu

FAHA FAHMS
Director, Centre for Biomedical Ethics; Chen Su Lan Centennial Professor in Medical Ethics
National University of Singapore
2019
International

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Professor Julian Savulescu
FAHA FAHMS

Professor Savulescu trained in medicine and philosophy in Melbourne, and is now an internationally leading medical ethicist, specialising in the ethics of new biotechnologies, in particular in medicine and neuroscience. He has launched major initiatives in ethics of genomics, stem cells, bioenhancement and neuroethics. He has built interdisciplinary collaborations addressing ‘collective action problems’ such as antimicrobial resistance and vaccination, and influenced policy on current issues such as cloning, stem cell research, assisted dying, mitochondrial transfer, and abortion. He built self-sustaining bioethics research programmes in the UK and Australia, and has trained a new generation of scholars in medical ethics.

Professor Carmel Hawley

AM FAHMS
Director, Haemodialysis Services
Princess Alexandra Hospital
2019
QLD

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Professor Carmel Hawley
AM FAHMS

Professor Carmel Hawley is an Academic Clinical Nephrologist, and in recognition of her substantial involvement in kidney disease research, was recently awarded the Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Medal. However, her greatest contribution has been as the principal driver, and inaugural Chair of the Executive Operations Secretariat for the Australasian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN). The major goal of the AKTN is to conduct investigator initiated randomised controlled trials in nephrology to improve the evidence base in this discipline, and to build research skills and capabilities across the kidney care community. With a strong international profile, AKTN’s research has impacted both clinical practice and policy creation.

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.

To ensure the Academy has a representative and diverse membership, Fellows nominating two new candidates are asked to include only a maximum of one man, and Fellows nominating four new candidates are asked to include only a maximum of two men.

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.

Find out more

Whether you’re looking to nominate a colleague for an award, make a donation to the Academy or simply find out more about the work we do, research we advance and health policy advice we provide, sign up to our mailing list today.

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