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.

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

Head, Cancer Genomics & Genetics Program
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
2016
VIC

Professor Bowtell holds joint appointments at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Garvan Institute. He was Director of Research at Peter Mac from 2000-2009. Professor Bowtell has an extensive background human cancer genomics, particularly ovarian cancer. He is PI for the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study, one of the largest population-based cohort studies of ovarian cancer in the world, and is CIA for a newly initiated NHMRC Program grant. His lab has made practice-changing contributions to the molecular classification of ovarian cancer, the impact of BRCA mutations on treatment response, and mechanisms of primary and acquired chemotherapy resistance.

Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health / Consultant Paediatrician
The University of Sydney / The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
2016
NSW

Elizabeth is an academic paediatrician with a national and international reputation for leadership in medical research, education and advocacy. Her focus is children with rare diseases (including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders), in immigration detention and developing settings, and Indigenous children. She founded and leads two national surveillance systems – the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit for rare childhood diseases and Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance system, and has led the International Network of Paediatric Surveillance Units. She holds a prestigious NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship; is a Consultant for the Australian Human Rights Commission and the WHO; and is Member of the Order of Australia.

Chair, Department of Neuroscience and Edison Professor of Neuroscience
Washington University in St Louis
2016
International

Professor Richards is a world leader in brain development, in particular nervous system wiring. She is internationally recognised as driving our understanding of the development of the corpus callosum, the major connection between the brain hemispheres. Her career has been exemplified by her ability to seize new technologies and capitalise upon these to advance the discovery of significant molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate human callosal formation and malformation, and that are required for brain wiring more generally. Professor Richards also has a strong commitment to mentoring young scientists and in promoting science through major public outreach activities.

Dean of Medicine
UNSW Sydney
2016
NSW

Vlado Perkovic is an international leader in kidney research, and Executive Director of the George Institute Australia. His research has demonstrated the benefits of several interventions in kidney disease, and seeks to prevent kidney failure through new treatments.  He has demonstrated that half or fewer people with kidney failure globally have access to dialysis, and established a prize to encourage development to address this gap. He writes guidelines in kidney and cardiovascular disease, is a board member of ACTA, a member of the NHMRC Health Translation Committee, and Chairs the International Society of Nephrology Association for Clinical Trials.

NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Professor in Ophthalmology
Flinders University
2016
SA

Blindness exerts significant physical, emotional and financial constraints and hardship upon individuals. For The past 30 years Professor Keryn Williams, a transplantation immunobiologist, has been working to decrease this disease burden. Improving the outcomes of corneal transplantation, the dominant surgical treatment for corneal opacity, has been a central focus of her research. As founder and Scientific Director of the Australian Corneal Graft Registry, translational research underpins her portfolio, but is complemented and informed by basic experimental work on common eye diseases. Her research has influenced clinical practice, and the Australian Corneal Graft Registry is admired throughout the world.

 

Head, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program, Kirby Institute
University of New South Wales
2016
NSW

Professor Dore is a renowned infectious diseases physician and clinical epidemiologist. His characterisation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic, has informed public health policy and positioned his group as an international leader in HCV epidemiology. His HCV therapeutic research among people who inject drugs has guided clinical management internationally and enhanced access to treatment for this marginalised population.  His high standing is evidenced by extensive conference invitations as well as an outstanding record of peer funding. This is matched by the respect he enjoys in the wider community. He would be a most influential addition to the Fellowship.

Professor and Director, Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine
Austin Health
2016
VIC

Professor McDonald is an eminent physician-scientist working in the field of Respiratory Medicine. She has distinguished herself as a physician, investigator and teacher and latterly also as public spokesperson and department and institute head. She is recognised nationally and internationally for translating clinical research from bench to bedside in home and hospital settings, especially in the field of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. She exemplifies the many objective and empathic skills needed to be a rigorous scientist, administrator and care-giver. She is therefore deserving of the recognition this membership will bring.

Professor of Neurology
University of Western Australia
2016
WA

Professor Hankey is recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in medical and health science in the field of stroke research.  He has a number of international and national awards as well as more than 300 publications in which he has made major advances in the field of stroke prevention particularly.  He has shown how blood thinners prevent recurrent stroke.  He is an outstanding leader in his role as Professor of Neurology, University of Western Australia as well having global roles such as World Stroke Organization board member and editorial consultant for one of the world’s leading journals, The Lancet.

Deputy Director
Neuroscience Research Australia
2016
NSW

Simon Gandevia is a clinical neurophysiologist with a history of major discoveries about human movement control in health and disease.  His research covers three strands: (i) neural mechanisms of proprioception; (ii) neural control of muscle performance, especially during muscle fatigue; and (iii) control of human breathing muscles.  His work has provided insight into many disorders, including stroke, spinal cord injury, prior–‐polio, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and obstructive sleep apnoea.  Also, he was a founder of the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (now NeuRA) in 1992 and elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1998.

Head, Women’s Health Research Program
Monash University
2016
VIC

Professor Susan Davis is a National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellow, Chair of Women’s Health, and Head of the Women’s Health Research Program at Monash University.  She is considered an international authority on androgens in women and the menopause.  Her research has influenced the management of a range of health issues in women at midlife, globally.  She has made, and continues to make, important contributions to the health and quality of life of women at midlife, as a researcher, clinician and educator.

About Fellowship with AAHMS

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 by 24 November each year to confirm candidate eligibility and receive and instructions on how to submit the completed nomination documentation online. Nomination requests received past this deadline will not be considered in the current election round.

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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