Institute Deputy Director, Science Strategy Professor Alan Cowman AC, philanthropist Mrs Pamela Galli AO, and Chief Executive of Melbourne Health Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO are among the Australians recognised in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Professor Cowman’s Companion of the Order of Australia award – the highest Australian civilian honour – recognises his contributions to medical research and scientific education, and his leadership and mentoring within the sector.

Philanthropist and Institute Centenary Donor Mrs Pamela Galli AO has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to, and support of, community health and medical research and children with a disability.

Chief Executive of Melbourne Health and Institute board member Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to medicine through senior administrative roles, to the promotion of quality in health care, and to neurology. 

At a glance

• Institute Deputy Director, Science Strategy, Professor Alan Cowman AC has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for his contributions to medical research and scientific education.
• Philanthropist and Centenary Donor Mrs Pamela Galli AO has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to, and support of, community health and medical research and children with a disability.
• Chief Executive of Melbourne Health and Institute board member Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to medicine through senior administrative roles, to the promotion of quality in health care, and to neurology. 

A scientific leader honoured

Professor Cowman, an internationally acclaimed malaria researcher and the Institute’s Deputy Director, Science Strategy, was recognised for his ground-breaking research, education and mentoring achievements.

Having completed his PhD at the Institute and undertaken overseas postdoctoral research, Professor Cowman returned to the Institute in 1986 as a laboratory head. Among the many important discoveries about the biology of the malaria parasite and advancements in the development of potential new anti-malarial drugs and vaccines, Professor Cowman and his colleagues have:

• revealed how malaria parasites become resistant to certain widely used antimalarial drugs;
• created the world’s first genetically modified malaria parasite, an achievement underpinning potential malaria vaccines;
• pinpointed crucial proteins in malaria biology that have the potential to be drug targets;
• revealed a greater understanding of how malaria parasites infect humans and cause disease; and
• identified important receptors that malaria parasites use to infect human red blood cells.

Professor Cowman has also played an important role internationally as President of the World Federation of Parasitologists 2010-14 and contributed to the World Health Organization - TDR (Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases), including training scientists in low-income countries.

Professor Cowman said he was honoured to be recognised with the national award.

“It is a great honour and recognition of the contributions that Australian scientists have made to the malaria field internationally,” he said.

Institute director Professor Doug Hilton AO said Professor Cowman was an inspiring and dedicated researcher.

“Alan has mentored hundreds of scientists and students in his time at the Institute. He has also been key for opening the Institute to a range of international collaborations with academia, pharma, governments and non-governmental organisations that have enriched research across the Institute.

“Malaria is a disease impacting millions around the world but one that is often overlooked in Australia. It is wonderful to see Alan on the national stage being recognised for his seismic research achievements and stellar commitment to the sector.”

Philanthropist recognised

Mrs Pamela Galli has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to community health and medical research as a supporter and benefactor, and to children with a disability. 

Professor Hilton said the generosity of Mrs Galli offered great support and inspiration to researchers working to improve health outcomes.

“Through years of providing generous philanthropic support to biomedical science, Mrs Galli has become a significant contributor to the future of Australian medical research discoveries and translation.

“I am particularly grateful for Mrs Galli’s support of researchers and organisations within the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (MACH). Mrs Galli has placed her trust in researchers at the Institute, as well as at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Children’s Hospital, to improve health outcomes for patients in Australia and around the world,” he said.

In 2012 Mrs Galli donated $5 million to the University of Melbourne to establish The Lorenzo Galli Chair in Melanoma and Skin Cancers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. A year later, in early 2013, she donated a further $5 million to support the establishment of The Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Chair in Developmental Medicine at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Mrs Galli has also supported other research fellowships in the Parkville Biomedical Precinct, including the Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Centenary Fellowship at the Institute and the Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Melanoma Research Fellow at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

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