Academy Fellowship for cancer leader

Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench, the head of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s Cancer Program, has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor Chenevix-Trench is one of just 21 Australian science leaders honoured for their outstanding contributions to research this year.

Academy President Suzanne Cory congratulated the new Fellows for their stellar achievements and contributions to advancing the sum of human knowledge.

“All of these scientists are doing amazing and significant work in their chosen fields – they are the Olympic athletes of science,” she said.

Every year the Academy honours the work of Australia’s leading scientists with election to its Fellowship, which now numbers 481.

Professor Georgia Chenevix-Trench, who also heads QIMR Berghofer’s Cancer Genetics Laboratory, was honoured for her work on the genetics of breast, ovarian and other cancers, including showing that mutations in the ATM gene confer moderate risks for breast cancer. She has worked at QIMR Berghofer since 1986.

“This is a great honour, and I thank the Academy,” Professor Chenevix-Trench said.

“In the 30 years I’ve been working in the field of cancer genetics, the research world has made enormous advances in our understanding of the disease.

“The last ten years have been particularly exciting scientifically, and today’s honour is a testament to the skills of our entire team, and all my local, national and international collaborators, and the incredibly supportive environment of QIMR Berghofer.”

QIMR Berghofer Director Frank Gannon extended his congratulations.

“This is a great honour, and a much-deserved honour,” Professor Gannon said.

“Georgia Chenevix-Trench is a world leader in cancer genetics, and we’re proud to have her at the helm of our cancer team.”

New Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at its annual flagship event, Science at the Shine Dome, in Canberra in May.

For a full list of the new fellows, visit http://www.science.org.au/news