Although Australians are stereotypically keener on sport than science, Australia’s health and medical researchers are well represented among the recipients of some of the highest recognition for their achievements, internationally and within Australia.
Australian winners of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
Australia is one of the world’s leading Nobel Prize-winning countries, in proportion to its small population. Of the 11 Nobel Prizes awarded to Australians since 1915, six have been for ‘Physiology or Medicine’. [ 1, 2 ]
Elizabeth Blackburn — 2009
Professor Elizabeth Blackburn is the first Australian woman to win a Nobel Prize. Although she is now based in California, she was born in Tasmania and holds joint Australian–US citizenship. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 with US Professors Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for their discovery of ‘how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase’.
Photo: Gerbil, Licensed by Attribution Share Alike 3.0
Barry Marshall and Robin Warren — 2005
Professor Barry J. Marshall and Dr J. Robin Warren, both Australians, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005 ‘for their discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease’.
Photo: Frances Andrijich Photography
Peter Doherty — 1996
Professor Peter C. Doherty was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1996 ‘for discoveries concerning the specificity of the cell mediated immune defence’, which has laid a foundation for an understanding of general mechanisms used by the cellular immune system to recognize both foreign microorganisms and self molecules.
Doherty shared the prize with Rolf M. Zinkernagel of Switzerland.
Photo: Australian Academy of Science
Sir John Carew Eccles — 1963
Sir John Carew Eccles was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1963 ‘for discoveries concerning the ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane’.
Eccles shared the prize with Alan Lloyd Hodgkin and Andrew Fielding Huxley, both of the United Kingdom.
Photo: Australian Academy of Science
Sir Frank MacFarlane Burnet — 1960
Sir Frank MacFarlane Burnet was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1960 ‘for discovery of acquired immunological tolerance’ that made direct study of immunologically active tissue feasible, leading to new understanding of the nature of immunity and immunilogical disturbances.
Burnet shared the prize with Peter Brian Medawar of the United Kingdom.
Photo: Australian Academy of Science
Sir Howard Florey — 1945
Sir Howard Walter Florey was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1945 ‘for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases’.
Florey shared the prize with Sir Alexander Fleming and Ernst Boris Chain, both of the United Kingdom.
Photo: Australian Academy of Science
Other health-related Australian Nobel laureates
Two Nobel Prizes in other scientific fields have also been awarded to Australians whose discoveries subsequently had an impact on health-related research [1]:
- Sir John Warcup Cornforth was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1975 ‘for his work on the stereochemistry of enzyme-catalysed reactions’, specifically, the biosynthesis of cholesterol from acetic acid. Cornforth shared the prize with Vladimir Prelog of Switzerland.
- William Bragg and his son Lawrence Bragg were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1915 for their ‘services in the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays’. Their work led to the design of drugs tailored to the proteins at which they were directed. Although William Bragg was born in the United Kingdom, he moved to Australia in 1886 at the age of 23 and his son, (William) Lawrence, was born in Adelaide in 1890. [3]
Australians of the Year
The Australian of the Year Awards are selected by the Australia Day Council, from nominations by the Australian community. Australian health and medical researchers have been well represented as Australians of the Year [4]:
- 2006 — the Australian of the Year award went to clinical immunologist Professor Ian Frazer for developing a vaccine to prevent and treat cervical cancer.
- 2005 — Dr Fiona Wood was named Australian of the Year for developing a revolutionary spray-on skin for burn victims.
- 2003 — Australian of the Year went to Professor Fiona Stanley for her ongoing research into childhood illness and improving the health and wellbeing of children and youth.
- 2000 — Sir Gustav Nossal was named Australian of the year for his ground-breaking work in immunology; his services to Australian science; his work as a public commentator and educator; and his work for charity and community groups.
- 1997 — Professor Peter Doherty was named Australian of the Year for his 1996 Nobel Prize-winning research into cellular immunology.
- 1963 — Australian of the Year went to Sir John Eccles for his Nobel Prize-winning research into nerve cell signalling, and also his science advocacy.
- 1960 — Sir Macfarlane Burnet was named Australian of the Year for his Nobel Prize-winning contribution to health research in the field of immunology.
Other awards
The Australia Prize and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
The Australia Prize (1991–1999) and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science (2000–) are Australia’s pre-eminent award for scientific research. Health and medical researchers have won the Prime Minister’s Prize five times since 2000: [5]
Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
- 2008 — Professor Ian Fraser, for his research on vaccines for cervical cancer
- 2004 — Professor Graeme Clark, for his research that has led to the ‘bionic ear’
- 2003 — Professor Jacques Miller, for his discoveries about how the immune system works
- 2002 — Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner, for his research in virology
- 2001 — Emeritus Professor Donald Metcalf, for his research on white blood cells
The Australia Prize
- 1998 — Molecular Science Theme
Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, for her research on telomeres and telomerase
Professor Suzanne Cory, for her research into the causes of cancer
Professor Grant Sutherland, for his research into fragile-X syndrome - 1996 — Pharmaceutical Design Theme
Dr Graeme Laver, Dr Peter Colman and Professor Mark von Itzstein, for their research into the surface proteins of the influenza virus that led to better flu vaccines
International awards
The Lasker Award
Since 1946, the Lasker Foundation of the USA has annually awarded ‘outstanding scientists, physicians, and public servants who have made major advances in the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of human disease’. [6]
Recipients of the Lasker Awards often go on to later win Nobel Prizes.
Recent Australian laureates of the Lasker Award
Award for Basic Medical Research
- 2006 — Elizabeth Blackburn
- 2003 — Marc Feldmann
- 1995 — Peter Doherty
Award for Clinical Medical Research
- 1995 — Barry Marshall
- 1993 — Donald Metcalf
The Japan Prize
Since 1985, Japan has awarded an annual prize to researchers who have made ‘original and outstanding achievements in science and technology [and have] advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind’. [7]
Emeritus Professor Frank Fenner shared the 1988 Japan Prize for his contribution to eradicating smallpox.
References
- Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade — Australia’s Nobel Prize Winners
- Nobel Prize Foundation — The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- ABIE Australian Business and Investment Explorer (2004). Australia's Nobel Laureates – Adventures in Innovation, pp. 26-33.
- Australian of the Year
- Prime Minister’s Prize for Science
- The Lasker Foundation — The Lasker Awards
- The Japan Prize