We are delighted to congratulate our Fellows, Professor John Shine AC FRS FAA FAHMS(Hon) and Professor Jane Visvader FRS FAA FAHMS, who have been elected as Fellows of The Royal Society. A Fellowship of some 1,600 of the world’s most eminent scientists, The Royal Society is the world’s oldest scientific academy at more than 350 years old.
Professor Shine is Emeritus Professor at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, an institute he led for 21 years. His remarkable work on gene cloning technology, including the first cloned human gene and the development of gene expression tools, has helped launch a therapeutics industry which now benefits millions of people across the world. Referred to as the ‘father of gene cloning’, Professor Shine has been recognised globally for his contributions. He is also the current President of the Australian Academy of Science.
Professor Visvader is Joint Division Head of the ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cells at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. She has made seminal contributions to breast cancer research by identifying breast stem cells, defining how normal breast growth is regulated, identifying the breast cells that are predisposed to becoming cancerous in women and discovering potential strategies to treat and prevent breast cancer. Her work has altered our understanding of breast cancer and pioneered a new field of research in breast stem cell biology.
We warmly congratulate both Fellows on this tremendous achievement.