Andrew Wilks, elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences

16 October 2020

Congratulations to Andrew Wilks upon being elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Andrew is a valued member of our Bio21 community where he is CEO of SYNthesis Group, headquartered at Bio21 since 2018. He is also CEO of SYNthesis Research and Executive Chairman of SYNthesis med chem, both companies having a presence in our Bio21 Business Incubator building.  

Andrew’s election as a Fellow to the Academy honours his many achievements, as a cancer researcher, inventor and biotech entrepreneur. He has discovered enzymes (most famously the JAK kinases), invented promising drugs (e.g. lexibulin and momelotinib) and co-founded 10 companies.

Andrew is one of 28 of the nation’s top medical and health researchers, including 13 women, that have been elected as Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the health and medical research landscape in Australia.

As stated on the Academy’s website: “The new Fellows are elected at a time when health and medical science is making a crucial contribution to the nation’s future, as the community works to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

The purpose of the Academy, as stated on the website, is to: “advance health and medical research in Australia and its translation into benefits for all, by fostering leadership within our sector, providing expert advice to decision makers, and engaging patients and the public.” 

As stated on the Academy’s website: “The Academy’s Fellows are an independent, interdisciplinary body of scientists and innovators, elected by their peers for their outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions to health and medical science in Australia.” Together, “…they are a representative and authoritative voice that spans the breadth of translational biomedical and clinical research in Australia… to engage with the community, industry and governments to address the most pressing health challenges facing society.”

It’s wonderful to see so many new Fellows, many honouring our female scientists, elected from the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct.

Michael Parker 

Bio21 Institute, Director