David Handelsman is a world-leading authority on androgen physiology, pharmacology and toxicology arising from his sustained and wide-ranging clinical, experimental and public health research and discoveries in elucidating androgen action, use and misuse. He became Australia’s first Professor of Andrology (1996), created Australia’s first hospital Andrology Department (1999) and is inaugural Director, ANZAC Research Institute (1999). The most highly cited author and author of the major textbook chapters in his field, he has >450 papers, cited >16,000 times (h index 71) including an editorial for New England Journal of Medicine (2013) with his work highlighted by a Time magazine cover story on testosterone (2014).

Professor Andrew Grulich is an internationally renowned authority in Immune deficiency, infection and cancer and Transmission and prevention of HIV. His work has documented how immune function influences cancer risk, and demonstrated effective HIV prevention in homosexual men. His finding that infection-related cancers occur at increased risk in transplant recipients overturned thinking about the role of the immune system in cancer prevention, and led to international clinical guidelines. His outstanding profile is evidenced by senior executive roles in international professional and scientific organisations, and a Thomson-Reuters citation record in the top 1% of his field.

Scientia Professor Katharina Gaus is an acknowledged authority in the fields of cellular immunology and molecular microscopy. Her work has not only completely overturned our understanding of T cell activation, but we can now image and map signalling molecules in T cell synapses with nanometre precision. Her frequently world-first research achievements are matched by her profile both nationally and internationally, with many esteem measures to her name including receipt of the prestigious Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science.

Vale Katharina Gaus, March 2021

Laureate Professor Paul Foster, DSc (ANU), undertakes research which has transformed the way scientists understand the fundamental molecular and cellular processes that regulate allergic inflammation, and how they contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma and eosinophilic disorders.  These include seminal findings on how cytokines (interleukins (IL)) derived from T-helper cells contribute to allergic disease.  Notably, these observations provide the platform for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new therapies for the treatment of asthma and eosinophilic disorders.  This is exemplified by successful clinical trials where inhibition of IL-5 and IL-13 has improved the health of patients with severe asthma. Professor Foster continues to play a critical role in shaping new clinical approaches to the management of patients with asthma and other airway diseases.

Professor David Currow has contributed internationally to the ongoing development of palliative and supportive care.

He is one of the 10 most published palliative care researchers in the world, and has attracted competitive funding and contract work worth more than $70million.His research is now directly influencing clinical practice, policy and funding around the world. He set up and continues to lead the world’s largest collaborative clinical trials group doing phase III studies in palliative care. Most importantly, his research can be shown to be improving the care of people at the end of life internationally.