Academy honours Australia’s eminent scientists

Today 26 Fellows and two Corresponding Members be a part of the Australian Academy of Science’s Fellowship of 647 distinguished Australian scientists working throughout fields from basic physics to biomedical analysis. 

President of the Academy Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC stated this 12 months’s cohort demonstrated each the depth of Australian science and the trail from discovery to affect. 

“This cohort includes scientists whose work is rewriting the textbooks and has changed the world,” Professor Jagadish stated.  

“Professor Andrew Dzurak led the team that built the world’s first silicon quantum bits and is now scaling them toward manufacturable quantum computers.  

“Professor Sherene Loi’s research has changed how breast cancer is diagnosed in hospitals worldwide.  

“Emeritus Professor John Long has identified 90 previously unknown prehistoric taxa, reshaping our understanding of vertebrate evolution. 

“Their work, and that of all 26 new Fellows, shows what Australia is capable of when its scientists are supported from fundamental discovery through to global application.”

Diverse analysis fields represented

Another of this 12 months’s elected Fellows is Professor Yun Liu (Australian National University), an utilized supplies chemist whose pioneering analysis in defect and crystal chemistry has revolutionised supplies design for future applied sciences, driving progress in electronics, power and environmental functions. 

Professor Liu’s analysis depends on world-class amenities, together with neutron and synchrotron sources, high-resolution electron microscopes and atomic pressure microscopes.  

“These tools allow us to probe matter at the atomic scale and solve complex problems in ways that were unimaginable decades ago,” she stated.  

“Every material you study is different, which means every day brings new challenges, and you are constantly acquiring new knowledge and skills. 

“There is a sense of exploration, discovery and excitement that never fades.” 

Palaeontologist Professor John Long (Flinders University) can also be amongst this 12 months’s new Fellows. His analysis has helped form our understanding of vertebrate evolution and established him as a world chief in palaeontological analysis. 

From Antarctica to Africa, Professor Long has found and formally recognized 90 beforehand unknown prehistoric taxa. His discoveries embrace new sorts of historical fishes, the world’s oldest reptile tracks, and Australia’s oldest theropod dinosaur. 

Research by world-leading immunologist Professor Katherine Kedzierska (The University of Melbourne), one other new Fellow for 2026, has considerably superior our understanding of how the human immune system responds to harmful viral threats together with pandemic, avian and seasonal influenza viruses.  

Professor Kedzierska was among the many first researchers to analyze immune responses throughout the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and avian H7N9 influenza in 2013. She has made essential contributions to our understanding of immunity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, work that underpins Australia’s preparedness for future pandemic threats. 

From discovery to international utility

The work of this 12 months’s cohort strikes Australian science from discovery to international utility.  

Professor Andrew Dzurak (University of New South Wales) led the staff that demonstrated the world’s first silicon quantum bits and now leads Diraq, scaling that expertise towards manufacturable quantum computer systems.  

Professor Sherene Loi (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre) established a breast most cancers biomarker now utilized in routine pathology worldwide and included within the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours.  

Professor Robert Furbank (Australian National University) leads worldwide work to revamp rice and wheat for larger yields and Professor Huanting Wang (Monash University) has licensed his membrane expertise to firms throughout three continents. 

Together, the 28 new members admitted to the Academy in 2026 span basic discovery, translational analysis and the business utility of Australian science. 

New Fellows of 2026

• Professor Nicole Bell FAA, The University of Melbourne
• Professor Céline Bœhm FAA, The University of Sydney
• Professor Philip Boyd FAA FRS, University of Tasmania
• Professor Cyrille Boyer FAA, University of New South Wales
• Professor Jochen Brocks FAA, Australian National University
• Professor Graeme Cumming FAA, The University of Western Australia
• Professor Kishan Dholakia FAA, Adelaide University
• Professor Andrew Dzurak FAA, University of New South Wales
• Professor Aleksandra Filipovska FAA FAHMS, The University of Western Australia
• Professor Jennifer Flegg FAA, The University of Melbourne
• Professor Robert Furbank FAA, Australian National University
• Professor Katherine Kedzierska FAA FAHMS, The University of Melbourne
• Distinguished Professor Yun Liu FAA FTSE, Australian National University
• Professor Sherene Loi FAA FAHMS, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Emeritus Professor John Long FAA, Flinders University
• Professor Laura Mackay FAA FAHMS, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
• Professor Stefan Maier FAA, Monash University
• Professor Paul Martin FAA, The University of Sydney
• Distinguished Professor Nicolle Packer FAA, Macquarie University
• Professor David Raubenheimer FAA, The University of Sydney
• Professor Timothy Schmidt FAA, University of New South Wales
• Professor Enrico Valdinoci FAA, The University of Western Australia
• Professor Huanting Wang FAA FTSE, Monash University
• Professor Alpha Yap FAA, The University of Queensland

2026 Special Election

Each 12 months the Academy’s Council might elect as much as 4 individuals whose election would increase the variety of the Fellowship and be of great profit to the Academy and the development of science.  

Specially elected members this 12 months are: 

• Dr Deborah Rathjen FAA FTSE, Carina Biotech
• Ms Sally-Ann Williams FAA FTSE, Board member with the Australian Research Council, Bank Australia and the Australian Ocean Lab

2026 Corresponding Members

The Academy has additionally elected two Corresponding Members, eminent worldwide scientists with sturdy ties to Australia who’ve made excellent contributions to science: 

• Professor Ajay Sood FAA FRS (India), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore India and Government of India, New Delhi
• Professor Yongguan Zhu FAA (China), Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Find out extra in regards to the 2026 cohort