Geneticist receives top award

ANU evolutionary geneticist, Professor Jenny Graves, has received one of five international awards for women scientists for her studies on the evolution of mammalian genomes.

Professor Graves was selected as the Asia-Pacific laureate of the L'oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science 2006 awards by a panel of high-profile scientists led by Gunter Blobel, who received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1999.

As part of the award, which was recently presented in Paris, Professor Graves received US$100,000.

Professor Graves is the Head of the Comparative Genomics Research Group at the Research School of Biological Sciences, and is Director of the ARC Centre for Kangaroo Genomics based at ANU and the University of Melbourne.

Professor Graves was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1999, awarded a Centenary Medal for services to Australian genetics and genomics in 2002 and was the recipient of the AAS Macfarlane Burnet Medal for Biology in 2006.

Professor Graves said it was a great honour to receive an award that celebrated the contributions of women in science.

“This initiative also recognises talented early-career women researchers with a fellowship to pursue their research. These wonderful young women are the scientists who will be inspiring the next generation of young women to study science and pursue a career in the field.

“The message we all want to get through to young women – and young men – is that science is a wonderfully exciting and fulfilling career. I feel very lucky that I’m paid for doing what I’ve always wanted to do – detective work on the order and organisation of living things through genetics – and that this has allowed me to work with some terrific people and make some exciting discoveries.”

On Campus March 2006:

Homecoming for new Chancellor

First lady inspires leading women

Legal minds provide input for courses

Information highway heads to Kioloa

Falling leaves, lifted spirits

Moments in the sun

Energy sparks Chinese interest

New ensemble at School of Music

Green skills bound for national stage

Training open to all staff

Hats off to graduates

Joint traineeship doubles rewards

Briefs

Meet Rachel Vance in People@ANU