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2005 Australia Day Honours for ASBMB Members
Australia Day 2005 saw two ASBMB members receive awards that rank them amongst Australia's top citizens.
Professor Nicos
Nicola was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for
service to scientific research and to policy development within the
field of cellular and molecular biochemistry, and to the
development of medical biotechnology in Australia.
Professor Nicola obtained his PhD in the Biochemistry Department, Melbourne University under Syd Leach and has spent nearly all his working life at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research where he is currently Assistant Director.
His major research interests are in understanding the molecular control of white blood cell formation and function. He was a key member of the team that identified and purified Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) (which is in extensive clinical use worldwide to stimulate the growth of blood cells following anti-cancer treatments), identified and cloned key receptors for such growth factors and identified the role of a novel family of inhibitors of signalling by their receptors (SOCS proteins).
He has been awarded significant scientific honours, including the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, the Pharmacia-LKB Biotechnology Medal of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Wellcome Australia Medal and the Amgen Australia Prize. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1996.
Professor Nicola has also rendered conspicuous service to the wider research community in the areas of science policy and biotechnology, particularly through his responsibilities with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). He is currently serving in his third triennium on the NHMRC Research Committee and is Chair of Program Grants Committee. He has also contributed to Biotechnology development as previous Chair of NHMRC's Industry Committee and was a member of the Inaugural Biotechnology Consultative Group, advising the Commonwealth Government on national priorities in the sector.
Professor
John de Jersey was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia
(AM), for service to science education, to research in the field of
enzyme biochemistry and molecular biology, and to academia.
Professor de Jersey has been a long term member of the academic staff of the University of Queensland, serving nine years as Head of Biochemistry (1992-2000) and the last four years as Head of the School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences. His research has focussed on enzyme mechanisms and structure-function relationships. He and colleagues were among the first to demonstrate the presence of a binuclear metal ion centre in a hydrolytic enzyme in pioneering work on the purple acid phosphatase family. Binuclear metal complexes are now known to be the catalytic units of a wide variety of enzymes. Other research has involved:
- A comparison of the purine salvage enzyme HGPRT from several sources, including the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum (the parasite enzyme is a target for the development of anti-malarial drugs).
- Covalent modification of tissue proteins by reactive metabolites of ethanol as a mechanism for alcohol-dependent disease.
John's current research interests include a systematic study of protein and peptide components of Australian snake venoms as potential therapeutic agents and the diagnostic information present in the plasma proteome.
Throughout his career, John has maintained a strong interest in biochemical education and its enhancement. He contributed to the establishment of an annual conference of Heads of Biochemistry at Australian universities, which is sponsored by ASBMB. Within the University, he has been a member of the University Senate for the last six years and is currently Deputy Executive Dean and Director of Research for the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Science. John has been a strong supporter of the ASBMB for many years and served as President in 2001-2002.
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This page last modified: July 31, 2006.