Professor Nick Nicola AO

Wednesday, January 26th 2005

Congratulations to the Assistant Director of WEHI, Professor Nick Nicola, who has been appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

Professor Nicola has been honoured "for service to scientific research and policy development within the field of cellular and molecular biochemistry, and to the development of medical biotechnology in Australia".

Professor Nicola has worked at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research for twenty-eight years and his entire research career has been devoted to understanding how white blood cells are regulated by the human body.

He was a key member of Professor Donald Metcalf's team that identified and purified Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor or G-CSF. This hormone, which controls white blood cell formation and resistance to infection, is in extensive clinical use worldwide to stimulate the growth of blood cells following anti-cancer treatments. He was also the leader in the discovery of some of the key receptors on cells that recognize the blood cell regulators - a discovery with great potential for clinical application.

He has been awarded significant scientific honours, including the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, the Pharmacia-LKB Biotechnology Medal of the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Wellcome Australia Medal and the Amgen Australia Prize. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1996.

Beyond the lab, Professor Nicola has rendered conspicuous service to the wider research community in the areas of science policy and biotechnology, particularly through his many responsibilities with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). He is currently serving his third 3-year term on the NHMRC Research Committee and has been part of the Executive since 2000, currently as Chair of Program Grants.

Of note, he served as Chair of NHMRC's Industry Committee, with special responsibilities for developing the principles of Intellectual Property management, the Industry Fellowship scheme and Development Grants, and was a member of the Inaugural Biotechnology Consultative Group, advising the Commonwealth Government on national priorities in the sector.

Reflecting on the award of the AO, Professor Nicola said, "I am deeply honoured to be recognized for my various streams of work and humbled to be in the distinguished company of previous recipients of the AO."

WEHI's Director, Professor Suzanne Cory, remarked, "Professor Nicola is one of Australia's finest scientists and richly merits this honour. All his friends and colleagues join with me in extending our warmest congratulations!"

For Media enquiries or further information, please contact:

Mr. Brad Allan

WEHI Community Relations Manager
Phone: (03) 9345 2345
Mobile: 0403 036 116
Email: allan@wehi.edu.au