Ruth Stephens Gani Medal

Last updated

The Ruth Stephens Gani Medal is awarded annually by the Australian Academy of Science to recognise research in human genetics. [1]

Contents

The award honours the contributions by Ruth Stephens Gani to human cytogenetics. [1]

It is an early career award normally for Australian resident nominees up to ten years work post doctorate. [1]

Below are a list of recipients from 2008-2018 in the field:

Recipients

Source: Australian Academy of Science

YearRecipientCitation extractRef
2024Sonia ShahResearch has led to new insights into heart failure biology and shifted understanding of genetic risk factors for familial hypercholesterolemia, impacting patient management in the UK. Dr Shah’s current research focuses on understanding cardiovascular risk in understudied groups, such as women and genetically diverse groups, in whom current tools for identifying high-risk individuals are less accurate, with the goal of developing more effective tools for disease prevention in these groups and ensuring more equitable translation of genomics research. [2]
2024Stephin VervoortInnovative approach to understand RNAPII regulation uses genome-wide analyses paired with computational methods. His work has resulted in ground-breaking discoveries of fundamental regulatory mechanisms of RNAPII-driven gene expression, uncovering how these are dysregulated in cancer, and which component can be targeted therapeutically in cancer. [1]
2022Loic Yengo [3]
2021Joseph Powell [4]
2020Marina PajicUses of genomic technologies to improve the understanding of how cancers develop, and become resistant to treatment. [5]
2019 Justin Wong Made the significant discovery that the natural accurate positioning of gene spacers is important to control how genes are turned on or off. He has also discovered that a ‘punctuation mark’ called DNA methylation can instruct the accurate usage of spacer sequences. The work by Dr Wong uncovers a novel way to control gene expression with vast therapeutic potential for cancers and other genetic diseases.
2018 Irina Voineagu Significant contributions to the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders, including work on molecular mechanisms of DNA instability, autism genomics and transcriptomics; elucidated the role of DNA repeat expansions in neurodevelopmental disorders as well as identified a novel syndrome of intellectual disability caused by mutations in the CCDC22 gene; identified networks of genes that showed altered expression in autistic brain tissue in the first landmark large-scale transcriptome study of autistic brain. [6] [7]
2017 Sarah Medland Neuroimaging genetics, Child & Adolescent Psychopathology and Women’s health; a leading role and was instrumental in the formation of the ENIGMA brain imaging genetics consortium, which is currently the largest brain imaging study in the world; significantly advanced the understanding of the ways that genetics influences the structure and function of the human brain. [8] [9]
2016 Geoffrey John Faulkner Leading researcher in the field of genomics, where computers can be combined with high-throughput machines to analyse the DNA found in individual human cells; he and his team have discovered unusual genetic changes in neurons associated with the activity of mobile DNA, a type of ‘jumping gene’; his work has major implications for healthy brain function, and may provide opportunities to better understand mental health and neurodegenerative conditions. [10] [11]
2015 Jian Yang Developed novel statistical analysis methods to show that individual differences between people for many characteristics are due to the cumulative effect of many genes; solved the problem that genes identified from recent large-scale genetic studies explained only a small part of the genetic basis of characteristics such as height or susceptibility to disease; distributed his software tools widely and many researchers now apply his statistical genetic methods to their data. [12] [13]
2014 Ryan Lister Development of key techniques to map the epigenome has made possible major advances in our understanding of its role in gene regulation in both plants and animals. [14] [15]
2013 Aleksandra Filipovska Significant contributions to the field of human mitochondrial gene expression; developed new technologies to investigate mitochondrial nucleic acids and the roles of proteins that regulate the expression of genes encoded on the mitochondrial DNA; discovered several mitochondrial proteins important for energy production and consequently cell health; developed new tools to modulate mitochondrial gene expression and potential therapeutics for the treatment of mitochondrial genome mutation disease. [16] [17]
2012 Manuel Ferreira Established the Australian Asthma Genetics Consortium, which recently carried out the largest asthma genetics study in Australia; identified a gene – the interleukin-6 receptor – that has a more active version and a less active version the finding suggests that a drug that reduces the activity of this gene – currently used to treat rheumatoid arthritis – may be effective in asthma. [18] [19]
2011 Alicia Oshlack Major advances in understanding human evolution and the biology of human genomes by comparing changes in gene expression levels between humans and apes; developed methodology specifically for gene expression analysis that can be applied to many aspects of human biology and medical genetics; pioneering analysis of new DNA sequencing technology for studying gene expression. [20] [21]
2010 Stuart Macgregor Developed new methods and tools to analyse a wide range of diseases, ranging from schizophrenia to cancer and glaucoma; known for his work in relation to gene mapping, having developed ways to analyse pooled DNA for large-scale genetic association studies, that has led to the discovery of a new genetic risk variant in melanoma. [22]
2009 Marnie Blewitt Major advances in our understanding of epigenetics – how we silence or activate particular regions of DNA to orchestrate normal development and prevent disease; identified new epigenetic mechanisms that influence how geneticists interpret the inheritance of phenotypic traits; identified a new gene that regulates X-inactivation, the process by which expression of genes on the X-chromosome is equalised between male and female mammals, including humans. [23] [24]
2008 Vanessa Hayes Identifying genetic risk factors for cervical and colorectal cancer; demonstrated the importance of genetic polymorphisms in progression of HIV disease in the African population; providing a major stimulus to the effective use of human genetics in prevention and treatment of this disorder; identified genetic markers associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer and the prediction of prostate cancer outcome. [25] [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Academy of Science</span> Academy of sciences

The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The academy is modelled after the Royal Society and operates under a Royal charter; as such, it is an independent body, but it has government endorsement. The Academy Secretariat is in Canberra, at the Shine Dome.

The Moran Medal in Statistical Sciences is awarded every two years by the Australian Academy of Science to recognise outstanding research by Australian scientists under 40 years of age in the fields of applied probability, biometrics, mathematical genetics, psychometrics, and statistics.

The Pawsey Medal is awarded annually by the Australian Academy of Science to recognize outstanding research in the physics by an Australian scientist early in their career.

The Gottschalk Medal is awarded every year by the Australian Academy of Science to recognize outstanding research by Australian scientists under 40 years of age for research in the medical sciences conducted mainly in Australia.

The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) is a non-profit organization, based in Strasbourg, France, that funds basic research in life sciences. The organization implements the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) and is supported by 14 countries and the European Commission. Shigekazu Nagata is the HFSPO President and Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. R. S. Rao</span> Indian scientist (1948–2023)

Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana Rao was an Indian scientist. He was awarded the fourth-highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, for Science and Engineering in 2010. From 2003 to 2013 he was president of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bangalore, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olufunmilayo Olopade</span> Nigerian physician

Olufunmilayo I. Olopade born in the year 1957, is a Nigerian hematology oncologist, Associate Dean for Global Health and Walter L. Palmer, Distinguished Service Professor in Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Chicago. She also serves as director of the University of Chicago Hospital's Cancer Risk Clinic.

The National Bio-science Award for Career Development or N-BIOS Prize is an Indian science award for recognizing excellence and promoting research in bio-sciences disciplines. It was instituted in 1999 by the Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India and is for encouraging Indian bio-scientists of less than 45 years of age. The award is given annually for unique contributions made towards the development of state of art in basic and applied areas of biological sciences through demonstrated activity in the form of publication in reputed journals and or patents. The award recognizes research and development work carried out in India during the last 5 years of the career. The award carries a citation, a plaque, a cash prize of ₹200,000 and a research support grant of ₹1,500,000, distributed annually in equal installments for three years. The award is one of the highest Indian biology awards, next to the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India.

Marnie Blewitt is head of a division at WEHI, which focuses on X-inactivation, and is engaged in research on the role of polycomb-group proteins in hematopoietic stem cell function.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katharina Gaus</span> Australian immunologist (1972–2021)

Katharina Gaus was a German-Australian immunologist and molecular microscopist. She was an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and founding head of the Cellular Membrane Biology Lab, part of the Centre for Vascular Research at the University of New South Wales. Gaus used new super-resolution fluorescence microscopes to examine the plasma membrane within intact living cells, and study cell signalling at the level of single molecules to better understand how cells "make decisions". A key discovery of Gaus and her team was how T-cells decide to switch on the body's immune system to attack diseases. Her work is of importance to the development of drugs that can work with T-cells in support of the immune system.

Aleksandra Filipovska is a Professor, Deputy Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology and NHMRC Investigator at the University of Western Australia, heading a research group at the Telethon Kids Institute. Specializing in biochemistry and molecular biology, she has made contributions to the understanding of human mitochondrial genetics in health and disease.

Vanessa Hayes is a geneticist conducting research into cancer genomics and comparative human genomics. She leads a research group at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney Australia and holds the Petre Chair of Prostate Cancer Research at the University of Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katherine Belov</span> Australian geneticist

Katherine Belov is an Australian geneticist, professor of comparative genomics in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Pro Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement at the University of Sydney. She is head of the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group and research expert in the area of comparative genomics and immunogenetics, including Tasmanian devils and koalas, two iconic Australian species that are threatened by disease processes. Throughout her career, she has disproved the idea that marsupial immune system is primitive, characterized the South American gray short-tailed opossum's immune genes, participated in the Platypus Genome Project, led research identifying the properties of platypus venom, and identified the cause of the spread of the Tasmanian devil's contagious cancer.

Sanjeev Anant Galande is an Indian cell biologist, epigeneticist, academic, former Chair of Biology and the Dean of Research and Development at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune. He heads the Laboratory of Chromatin Biology and Epigenetics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune. He is the founder of the Centre of Excellence in Epigenetics at IISER Pune and is known for his studies on higher-order chromatin architecture and how it influences spatiotemporal changes in gene expression. He is an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the National Bioscience Award for Career Development of the Department of Biotechnology. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 2010, for his contributions to biological sciences.

Suryanarayanasastry Ramasesha is an Indian quantum chemist and a former Dean of the Faculty of Science at the Indian Institute of Science. He is a former chair of the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit and Amrut Modi Chair professor of Chemical Sciences at IISc. He is known for his studies on conjugated organic systems and low-dimensional solids and is an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards, in 1992, for his contributions to chemical sciences.

Subramaniam Ganesh is an Indian geneticist, molecular biologist and a professor at the department of biological sciences and bio-engineering of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Known for his pioneering studies on Lafora progressive myoclonic epilepsy and other neurodegenerative disorders, Ganesh is an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, India. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerrie Wilson</span> Australian ecologist

Kerrie Ann Wilson is an Australian environmental scientist who is the Queensland Chief Scientist and a Professor in the Faculty of Science at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). She was formerly the Pro Vice-Chancellor at QUT. Wilson is also an affiliated professor in conservation science at the University of Copenhagen, honorary professor at The University of Queensland, a member of the Australian Heritage Council and the Australian Natural Sciences Commissioner for UNESCO.

Sarah Elizabeth Medland is Professor and Psychiatric Genetics Group Leader at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Herston, Brisbane, Australia. She played a major role in the development of the ENIGMA brain imaging consortium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R. Scott Hawley</span> American scientist

R. Scott Hawley is an American geneticist and investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, a member of the US National Academy of sciences and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has been President of the Genetics Society of America, and leads a research team focused on the molecular mechanisms that regulate chromosome behavior during meiosis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ruth Stephens Gani Medal". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  2. ↑ "2024 awardees | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  3. ↑ "2022 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  4. ↑ "2021 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  5. ↑ "2020 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  6. ↑ "2018 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. ↑ Smith, Deborah (17 November 2017). "Academy Awards for four UNSW scientists". University of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  8. ↑ "2017 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  9. ↑ "Research news in brief - Australian Academy of Science awards annual honorifics". Doctor Portal - MJA InSight. Medical Journal of Australia. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "2016 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  11. ↑ "Brain genetics researcher earns top science award". University of Queensland. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "2015 awardees". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "The Prime Minister's Prizes for Science - Jian Yang — Unravelling the complexity of height, intelligence, obesity and schizophrenia". Australian Government. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  14. ↑ "2014 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  15. ↑ "2014 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year". Science in Public. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  16. ↑ "2013 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  17. ↑ Dean, Tim (16 January 2013). "Life scientists recognised in Australian Academy of Science awards". Lab+Life Scientist. Westwick-Farrow. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "2012 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  19. ↑ Dean, Tim (6 December 2011). "Academy Awards (for science) announced". Lab+Life Scientist. Westwick-Farrow. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  20. ↑ "2011 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  21. ↑ "2011 awards for scientific excellence announced". Lab+Life Scientist. Westwick-Farrow. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  22. ↑ "2010 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  23. ↑ "2009 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "Academy awards for scientific excellence". Lab+Life Scientist. Westwick-Farrow. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "2008 awardees - Career awards". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  26. ↑ "NSW scientists shine at Academy Awards". Lab+Life Scientist. Westwick-Farrow. 21 January 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.