Infertility expert appointed Victorian governor

The Victorian premier, Steve Bracks, has appointed renowned Melbourne endocrinologist Prof David de Kretser, AO, to succeed John Landy as the state's governor.

De Kretser, foundation director of Monash University's Institute of Reproduction and Development, established the institute as one of the world's leading research centres in the molecular mechanisms of male infertility, and the involvement of male-secreted molecules in establishing pregnancy.

De Kretser is also associate dean of Monash University's faculty of medicine, nursing and health sciences, and executive chair of the Monash Institutes of Health. He has published more than 600 research papers during his career.

Bracks described de Kretser as "one of the most significant medical researchers, with an international reputation in the field of reproductive biology".

He will take up his appointment when governor John Landy retires on April 7, after the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

The Victorian government appears to be developing a tradition of favouring eminent scientists with vice-regal appointments. University of Melbourne plant molecular geneticist Prof Adrienne Clarke served as lieutenant governor from 1997 to 2000. Landy himself is a keen amateur naturalist, conservationist and nature photographer, who served on CSIRO's plant biodiversity advisory committee in the 1990s.