Honours for ARMI Leaders
Congratulations to Professor Graham Lieschke AM and Emeritus Professor Claude Bernard AM, who have both been recognised as part of the Australia Day Honours this year!
Graham has been made a member (AM) in the general division of the Order of Australia for “significant service to medicine as a haematologist, and to medical research.” Graham, a clinical and research haematologist, and his research group at ARMI studies blood cell development and function using the zebrafish as a model organism. Graham is also a member of the Executive Team, helping guide the future directions of the Institute as part of the senior leadership group. He is also deeply involved in the postgraduate studies program, ensuring that ARMI is well-positioned to educate and train the next generation of stem cell and regenerative medicine researchers. This is a significant honour and a worthy recognition of Graham’s passion for and commitment to medicine and science, as well as his considerable community-centred activities.
Claude has been made a member (AM) in the general division of the Order of Australia for “significant service to medical research and to education.” While now retired, Claude has been and continues to be instrumental in shaping ARMI into the Institute it is now. He was a previous Group Leader and interim Deputy-Director of ARMI and is a current member of the Institute’s Executive Committee, and as a member of the ARMI Advisory Board also chairs the chairs the Strategy Advisory Committee. Claude spent many of his research years working on understanding the role of the immune system in Multiple Sclerosis. More recently, he received the prestigious ChunCheng Friendship Award for his work in mentoring, education and guidance of Chinese scientists. This award acknowledges Claude’s distinguished and decorated career of more than 45 years in science leadership, research and education in China.
The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement. Graham and Claude are two of just 177 appointments as Members of the Order in 2023. This accolade is very well deserved and we congratulate them both!