Nobel prize winner tops australia day honours › news in science (abc science)

News in Science Tuesday, 26 January 2010 ABC ------------------------- Professor Elizabeth Blackburn has been named a Companion of the Order of Australia._(Source: Kim White/Reuters)_

Australia's first female Nobel Prize winner Professor Elizabeth Blackburn has been awarded Australia's highest honour in this year's Australia Day Awards. Blackburn made

history for changing the way scientists think about ageing and disease with her groundbreaking work on cells. Last year she and two of her US-based colleagues were jointly awarded the 100th

Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in recognition of their work. She is named Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in recognition of her "eminent service to science as a leader

in the field of biomedical research, particularly through the discovery of telomerase and its role in the development of cancer and ageing of cells and through contributions as an

international adviser in Bioethics." Blackburn says she is glad both the Order of Australia and the Nobel Prize have recognised science. "In both cases they're awarded for my

research on tumours and how they're replenished, which is very basic question driven research, so I am very happy to see that science is being honoured in this way, especially by the

Order of Australia," she says. Blackburn says being named a Companion of the Order of Australia gives her another tie with the country she grew up in. "I'm a dual citizen of

Australia and the United States. All my family still lives in Australia and I was brought up there so I have real ties there and so this is another nice tie to Australia. It does make me

feel this nice connected feeling," she says. OTHER SCIENTISTS RECOGNISED Astronomer Professor Fred Watson of the Anglo-Australian Observatory was appointed a Member in the General

Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to astronomy, particularly the promotion and popularisation of space science through public outreach. He says we live in a golden age of

astronomy and space science and it's important Australians are aware of the research. "We're on the brink of so many discoveries that I think will profoundly affect the way we

think about ourselves." Professor Frank Shann was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for service to medicine as a paediatrician, particularly as an advocate for

children's health. Professor Anthony Cunningham of the University of Sydney and Professor Wendy Hoy of the University of Queensland were both made Officers in the General Division of

the Order of Australia (AO) for their work in medical research. Cunningham, who is also Director of the Westmead Millennium Institute and Centre for Virus Research has been recognised for

his service to medicine, in particular his work on sexually transmitted diseases. He says he is humbled by being singled out as a leader. "The award is probably as much a recognition of

the work with the institute and the Australian centre as it is my personal research." Hoy, who has dedicated her research time to better understanding chronic disease, particularly

renal failure, was also honoured for her work as an advocate for Indigenous health in Australia and the US. Professor Patrick McGorry received the Australia of the Year award for his work in

the mental health field, in particular his achievements in improving the mental health of young people. He says Australia is poised for a new era of re-engineering of our mental health

system. "I think Australia as a country is perfectly poised to drive this sort of reform internationally. We are very innovative, we have a track record of that," says McGorry.

"But [we need] the right support from government and from the whole Australian community because 50 per cent of us will develop a mental health problem at some point in the life

span." TAGS: community-and-society, human-interest, awards-and-prizes, science-and-technology, australia-day Email the editor Use these social-bookmarking links to share NOBEL PRIZE

WINNER TOPS AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS.