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

Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor
Flinders University
2018
SA

Professor John Miners has made sustained contributions to the characterisation of the enzymatic basis of drug metabolism, which underpins the individualisation of drug therapy in humans. His research has: identified sources of variability in drug metabolism, especially drug-drug interactions and pharmacogenetics; characterised the substrate and inhibitor selectivities and structure-function relationships of the key drug metabolising enzymes cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase; and developed in vitro experimental paradigms that predict drug metabolism and disposition parameters in humans. The research has played a pivotal role in establishing drug metabolism as a predictive science that supports preclinical drug development and the clinical use of drugs.

Chief Executive Officer and President
Assembly Biosciences, Inc.
2018
International

Many researchers have contributed to the discovery of therapies offering permanent cure for virtually all Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infected patients. However, none has been leading the field in all its incremental and seminal stages more than Dr. McHutchison. His intellectual and clinical research talents resulted in him developing the antiviral drug combinations, Sovaldi®, Harvoni® and the pan-genotypic Epclusa® that collectively cure nearly every patient infected with HCV. The importance of this accomplishment cannot be overstated: cure of any disease is a major achievement.

Director, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service
The Doherty Institute
2018
VIC

Professor James McCarthy is a clinician scientist with an outstanding record of achievement in translational research in parasitic diseases. Although his most notable recent achievements relate to the development of a unique malaria human challenge system that has transformed early stage drug development for malaria. Over his career he has made internationally significant contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of scabies, intestinal and extra-intestinal parasites. He leads the Infectious Diseases Program at QIMR Berghofer, an NHMRC Program Grant, and serves on a number of international editorial boards and advisory committees including WHO and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Head, Leukaemia Biology Group
Children’s Cancer Institute
2018
NSW

Professor Richard Lock is an acknowledged authority in the field of leukaemia. His work has not only resulted in the most clinically relevant experimental model to investigate paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, he was also the first to draw a direct link between anti-cancer drug-induced cell cycle arrest and their effects on proteins that directly regulate the cell cycle – opening up a new field of anti-cancer drug research.
His frequently world-first research achievements are matched by his profile both nationally and internationally, evidenced by his exceptional level of peer funding and many invitations to speak at leading symposia.

Director, Research and Education Network
Western Sydney Local Health District
2018
NSW

Professor Stephen Leeder AO is the director of the Research and Education Network, Western Sydney Local Health District. He is also an Emeritus Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine at The University of Sydney and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Professor Leeder’s academic career includes public health research, educational development and policy with research interests in asthma and cardiovascular disease. From 2011 to December 2016, Professor Leeder was chair of the Western Sydney Local Health District Board, from 1997 to 2003, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at The University of Sydney, and from 2004 to 2014 he directed the Menzies Centre for Health Policy, focussing on policy research for cost-effective, comprehensive prevention and care of chronic illnesses.

NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow
University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research
2018
QLD

Professor Martin Lavin has demonstrated distinguished research leadership at multiple levels over many years making important contributions to health and medical research. His major focus has been on unravelling the defects in rare human genetic disorders such as Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T), characterized by a defect in the DNA damage response, neurodegeneration and cancer susceptibility. His research activity has extended from basic through clinical to translational and he is a founding member of the National A-T Clinic at the Lady Cilento and Wesley Hospitals.

Laboratory Head, Dept of Microbiology and Immunology
Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne
2018
VIC

Professor Kent is Australia’s leading authority and research scientist on the search for an HIV vaccine. He is an infectious diseases physician and scientist dedicated to basic, translational and clinical research on viral immunity. He has over 240 peer-reviewed publications in the field of viral immunity. He leads a 30-person team of dedicated scientists towards developing improved HIV and Influenza vaccines. His work has helped shape our understanding on immunity to HIV and Influenza. From 2019 he will lead a 7 investigator NHMRC program grant (which includes 3 AAHMS fellows) on finding an HIV vaccine and cure.

AO FAA FAHMS
Chief Executive Officer
National Health and Medical Research Council
2018
ACT

Professor Anne Kelso is an immunologist who has made a substantial and sustained contribution to Australian health and medical sciences through research on T lymphocyte-mediated immunity and influenza; service to national and international scientific societies and institutions; and centre directorships in which she fostered the development of novel vaccine technologies, and strengthened Australia’s position in global influenza virus surveillance, research and pandemic preparedness. As CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council, she is leading Australia’s peak medical research funding agency and implementing major reform of its grant program.

President and Principal
King’s College London
2018
International

Professor Shitij Kapur, is a psychiatrist neuroscientist and has devoted his academic career to finding better treatments for Schizophrenia. His study of anti-psychotic drugs using brain imaging and clinical trials has helped understand why some patients respond while others get side-effects, and he has contributed to better dosing and timing of these medications – leading to over 300 publications, 30,000 citations, and several international awards. Professor Kapur has also served in important leadership roles, leading Canada’s (2003-2007), and then Europe’s (2007-2016) premier institutions for mental health and addiction research. He currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Melbourne.

Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology
Royal Melbourne Hospital
2018
VIC

Professor Jonathan Kalman is an NHMRC practitioner fellow who leads both clinical and research groups in the Department of Cardiac Arrhythmias at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne. He has a national and international reputation as a leader in the field of atrial arrhythmias and has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications (H Index 74, over 27,700 citations), more than 40 book chapters and delivered over 200 invited lectures at national and international meetings. His areas of research interest include the mechanisms, treatment and prevention of atrial arrhythmias. His work has repeatedly influenced clinical guidelines and consensus documents.

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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