Congratulations to Professor Susan Sawyer on her election as a new Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Fellows are chosen by their peers for their impact on community health and wellbeing, outstanding contributions to health and medical research, and mentorship of the next generation of researchers and clinicians.

Prof Sawyer’s clinical, research, education, policy, and advocacy efforts have helped to establish the field of adolescent health in Australia, Asia-Pacific, and around the globe.

29 of Australia’s leading health and medical researchers elected as AAHMS Fellows

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) has announced the election of 29 new Fellows for 2025, recognising the nation’s most outstanding minds in health and medical research, innovation, and leadership.

Election to the Academy is one of the highest honours in Australian health and medical sciences. Fellows are elected by their peers for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of knowledge, the translation of research into improved health outcomes, and their commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers and clinicians.

Academy President Professor Louise Baur AM PresAHMS said the new Fellows represent the very best of  the health and medical sciences in Australia.

“Our new Fellows are improving lives — from tackling global health challenges and pioneering new treatments, to shaping policy and advancing the frontiers of biomedical discovery,” Professor Baur said.

“Their work exemplifies the Academy’s mission to advance health and medical research, promote evidence-informed policy, and foster trust in science.”

Among the newly elected Fellows are leaders whose research has transformed practice and deepened understanding across diverse fields:

• Professor Valsamma Eapen FAHMS, UNSW Sydney — a leading clinical academic in child and adolescent psychiatry whose work has reshaped our understanding of autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, and early intervention. Her translational research has informed national policy and services for children and families across Australia.
• Professor Paul Kelly FAHMS, Australian National University — an outstanding public health leader and former Chief Medical Officer of Australia, recognised for his national leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his long-standing contributions are leading to infectious disease control, surveillance, and evidence-informed public health policy.
• Professor Yuming Guo FAHMS, Monash University — an internationally recognised environmental epidemiologist whose research has revealed how climate change, air pollution, and extreme weather events affect human health. His findings underpin global policy responses and have guided WHO frameworks on environmental health.
• Professor Glenn King FAHMS, The University of Queensland — an innovative biochemist whose discovery and engineering of peptide molecules from spider venom have led to potential new treatments for chronic pain, epilepsy, and stroke.
• Professor Rachel Neale FAHMS, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute — an epidemiologist whose research on vitamin D, cancer, and public health has informed clinical practice guidelines and reshaped prevention strategies worldwide.
• Professor Susan Sawyer FAHMS, The University of Melbourne / Royal Children’s Hospital — a global leader in adolescent health who has helped establish adolescent medicine as a distinct clinical and academic discipline, improving health outcomes for young people in Australia and internationally.
• Professor Julian Troller FAHMS, UNSW Sydney — a psychiatrist and public health advocate advancing the mental health and wellbeing of people with intellectual disability, driving reforms in health services and disability policy.

This year’s Fellows also include trailblazers in cancer, infectious disease, neuroscience, and health systems research — individuals whose work spans from fundamental discovery through to clinical practice and policy.

Together, they embody the Academy’s commitment to excellence, equity, and impact across the health and medical sciences.

“Our Fellows are at the heart of the Academy’s work — providing independent, expert advice to government, mentoring the next generation, and ensuring science continues to serve society,” Professor Baur said.

The new Fellows will be formally inducted at the Academy’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Gala Dinner in Canberra, where they will join an outstanding community of over 500 existing Fellows who are shaping the future of health in Australia and beyond.

Find a full list of our 2025 AAHMS Fellows below: 

Professor Gary Anderson FAHMS, The University of Melbourne

Professor Tracy Burrows FAHMS, The University of Newcastle

Professor Jayesh Desai FAHMS, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Professor Valsamma Eapen FAHMS, UNSW Sydney

Professor Gregory Fox FAHMS, The University of Sydney

Professor Peter Gibbs FAHMS, WEHI

Professor John Greenwood FAHMS, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute

Professor Yuming Guo FTSE FAHMS, Monash University

Professor Prue Hart FAHMS, The University of Western Australia

Professor Natasha Harvey FAHMS, University of South Australia

Professor Michael Kassiou FTSE FAHMS, The University of Sydney

Professor Paul Kelly FAHMS, Australian National University

Professor Glenn King FAA FAHMS, The University of Queensland

Professor Peter Kistler FAHMS, The Alfred Hospital

Professor Dan Lubman AM FAHMS, Eastern Health

Professor Barend Marais FAHMS,  The University of Sydney

Professor Keith Martin FAHMS, The University of Melbourne

Professor Rachel Neale FAHMS, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Professor Belinda Parker FAHMS, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Professor Jose Polo FAA FAHMS, The University of Adelaide

Professor Enzo Porrello FAHMS, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Professor Helen Reddel FAHMS, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

Professor Susan Sawyer AM FAHMS, The University of Melbourne

Professor Alta Schutte FAHMS, UNSW Sydney

Professor Dan Siskind FAHMS, The University of Queensland

Professor Wayne Tilley FAHMS, The University of Adelaide

Professor Julian Trollor AM FAHMS, UNSW Sydney

Professor Minghao, Zheng FAHMS, The University of Western Australia

Professor David Ziegler FAHMS, UNSW Sydney

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