Royal Fellowship for Australian scientists

Three Fellows from the Australian Academy of Science have been elected to the prestigious Royal Society in the United Kingdom, the oldest scientific academy in the world.

Professor Stephen Simpson (University of Sydney), Professor Martin Green (University of New South Wales) and Professor Terence Speed (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) are among 44 newly elected Fellows.

“This is a day these scientists will never forget in their careers,” said the President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Suzanne Cory.

“I join with all their colleagues in the Australian Academy of Science in celebrating their election and warmly congratulating them.”

Professor Simpson was recognised for his work studying locust swarms to establish a model for nutrition called the Geometric Framework. Professor Simpson’s research is leading to a better understanding of obesity, nutrition and ageing.

Professor Green was recognised for his work in the field of photovoltaics (converting solar energy into direct current electricity), semiconductors, microelectronics and solar cells.

Professor Speed was recognised for his work in bioinformatics, which uses mathematical and statistical strategies to make sense of huge volumes of genomic data, aiding the understanding of gene function and disease.

“These scientists who have been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society have already contributed much to the scientific endeavour, following in the footsteps of pioneers such as Newton, Darwin and Einstein and it gives me great pleasure to welcome them into our ranks,” said Royal Society President Sir Paul Nurse.