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 Kate Leslie

FAHMS
Specialist Anaesthetist and Head of Research
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Fellow
2015
VIC

View full profile >>

Professor Kate Leslie
FAHMS

Professor Kate Leslie has demonstrated distinguished professional achievement in research, education and governance in anaesthesia and the wider specialist medical community. She is recognised by her peers for her research in the areas of awareness during anaesthesia and large perioperative trials. She is also recognised for her leadership as a former president of the Australian and New College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and chair of the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges. Her contribution has recently been recognised with the Australian Medical Association Woman in Medicine Award 2014 and the ANZCA Orton Medal – the highest honour bestowed by the college.

Professor (Svend) Peter Klinken

AC FAHMS FTSE CitWA
Chief Scientist of Western Australia
Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
Fellow
2015
WA

View full profile >>

Professor (Svend) Peter Klinken
AC FAHMS FTSE CitWA

Professor Klinken’s interest in cancer has led to the discovery a number of oncogenes and tumour- suppressor genes. His work on leukemias has been internationally-recognised, especially the concept of lineage-switching. As a passionate advocate for medical research, he established the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, and was Director of the Institute (now known as the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical research) for 15 years. After stepping down from the Director’s role he was appointed as the Chief Scientist of Western Australia. Professor Klinken has been recognised for these activities with awards that include the Western Australian Citizen of the Year.

Professor Alison Kitson

FAHMS
Vice President, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Flinders University
Fellow
2015
SA

View full profile >>

Professor Alison Kitson
FAHMS

Alison is an internationally renowned Translational Health Scientist and Nursing Leader. Her sustained work over the last 25 years has resulted in significant breakthroughs in our understanding of how evidence spreads (or doesn’t) through health systems. She has influenced thousands of practitioners and hundreds of researchers, post-doctoral and PhD students through her research and scholarship and she has also led a number of practical implementation studies demonstrating to clinicians and academics alike how to transform everyday practice settings. Alison regularly engages with the local community, discussing innovations in healthcare and leads Knowledge Translation (KT) innovations at international and national level.

Professor Matthew Kiernan

AM FAHMS
Bushell Professor of Neurology
University of Sydney
Fellow
2015
NSW

View full profile >>

Professor Matthew Kiernan
AM FAHMS

Professor Matthew Kiernan is a clinical neurologist and neuroscientist at the forefront of research into human neurophysiology. His pioneering work in nerve excitability techniques has produced novel insights into disease mechanisms, and based on these developments he has instituted new treatment trials. His research innovations have delineated properties of central and peripheral nerves and their susceptibility to disease. His research innovations have been translated into a cutting–‐edge diagnostic tool for clinicians in the diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease and for other neurological disease that is now recognized and implemented worldwide.

Professor Anthony Kelleher

FAHMS
Director
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Fellow
2015
NSW

View full profile >>

Professor Anthony Kelleher
FAHMS

Professor Kelleher is a clinician scientist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of interactions between HIV and the immune system. Focused on human T-cells and their manipulation by therapeutics, he’s made seminal contributions to the field including in relation to co-evolution of HIV and immune responses and development of a novel way of virus silencing when it is embedded in the host’s genes and inaccessible to the immune system and existing therapies. His outstanding profile is evidenced by research leadership roles and many invitations to speak at leading Australian and international symposia.

Professor John Kaldor

FAHMS
UNSW Scientia Professor
Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales
Fellow
2015
NSW

View full profile >>

Professor John Kaldor
FAHMS

John Kaldor is an internationally-renowned and esteemed public health researcher whose work in Australia and the Asia-Pacific has focused on the development of infectious disease control strategies. He established public health surveillance systems that provided key support for once controversial initiatives in HIV prevention, such as a needle and syringe distribution, by demonstrating effectiveness. Also, his work in Aboriginal health led to the first comprehensive analyses of the occurrence of curable sexually transmitted infection in remote communities and health service interventions aimed at reducing the burden and impact of these infections.

Professor Ricky Johnstone

FAHMS
Executive Director, Cancer Research; Head, The Sir Peter Maccallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne; Group Leader, Senior Faculty
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Fellow
2015
VIC

View full profile >>

Professor Ricky Johnstone
FAHMS

Professor Ricky Johnstone is a recognised leader in the area of cancer epigenetics and therapeutics. He has developed sophisticated pre-clinical models to elucidate the mechanisms of action of small molecule histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and mechanisms of intrinsic and acquired tumor cell resistance to HDACi. Professor Johnstone has developed, tested and validated rational combinations of small molecules targeting epigenetic enzymes,transcriptional regulatory proteins and signal transduction pathways to enhance the anti-tumor effects of these agents and reduce associated toxicities. With his clinical colleagues, he has successfully translated his laboratory-based findings through early phase clinical trials resulting in new treatments for patients with leaukemia and lymphoma.

 

Professor Philip Hugenholtz

FAHMS
Director of Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
The University of Queensland
Fellow
2015
QLD

View full profile >>

Professor Philip Hugenholtz
FAHMS

Professor Hugenholtz is a microbiologist who has made landmark contributions in the field of culture-independent analysis of microorganisms. He discovered and characterised numerous previously unrecognised major bacterial and archaeal lineages each with greater evolutionary divergence than animals and plants combined. He has been instrumental in the development and application of metagenomics, the genome-based characterisation of microbiomes, which has revolutionised our understanding of microbial ecology and evolution. His contributions are well recognised in medical and health science because they have increased our knowledge and helped to raise public awareness of the human microbiome and its role in health and disease.

 

Emeritus Professor John Hopwood

AM FAA FAHMS
Former Director, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology; SAHMRI Board member; Affiliate of the Nutrition and Metabolism Theme
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
Fellow
2015
SA

View full profile >>

Emeritus Professor John Hopwood
AM FAA FAHMS

Professor John Hopwood established and has led the Lysosomal Diseases Research Unit since 1978. The Unit has been continually successful in basic and applied research into lysosomal disorders (LSD), and has made significant contributions to diagnostics and population screening methods for detection of LSD, and developing and applying novel treatments to humans. His leadership has effectively harnessed the capacities of others to achieve success in complex and interactive projects over the long-term that have led to successful commercialisation of two FDA-approved treatments, which are now treating thousands of patients world-wide, and to royalty returns of >$300m invested back into SA health and medical research projects. Hopwood was a key contributor to the foundation of South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

 

Professor Gerald Holtmann

FAHMS
Director, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD Health
Fellow
2015
QLD

View full profile >>

Professor Gerald Holtmann
FAHMS

During the last 30 years, Professor Holtmann has been very fortunate to be able to drive a paradigm shift for the pathophysiologic concepts of functional gastrointestinal disorders. While initially considered a ‘psychosomatic disorder’, his work identified genetic risk factors (e.g. the GNB3 polymorphism) and established a now widely accepted concept of minimal systemic inflammation as a driver for the manifestation of these conditions. Based upon these findings novel treatments can be developed that will allow to better treat and ultimately cure patients with these highly prevalent diseases.

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 2022
Newly elected Fellows of 2022 are inducted at the Annual Meeting.

Late September 2022-November 2022
Nominations are invited from existing Fellows until the closing date of 30 November.

December 2022
Nominations allocated to Selection Committees.

January – April 2023
Referees’ reports sought.

Early May 2023
Selection Committees meet to consider nominations and provide final recommendations to the Council.

Early-to-mid-July 2023
Council meets to finalise recommendations.

Late July 2023
Full Fellowship invited to comment on recommended new fellows.

August 2023
Election results are shared with proposers and candidates (under embargo).

October 2023
Newly elected Fellows of 2023 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.

Sign up to our mailing list

Keep up to date with the latest news

By providing your email address, you consent to it being added to our mailing list.