Perkins researcher and epigenetics specialist, Professor Ryan Lister, has been elected as a 2020 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
The Australian Academy of Science Fellows include the nation’s most celebrated scientific minds, elected by their peers for their innovative research and their contributions to improving knowledge globally.
Professor Ryan Lister has made understanding the genome his life’s work and he continues to make major impacts in this discipline.
Professor Lister’s research focuses on the epigenome, the molecular code superimposed on the genome that plays an important roles in controlling how the information stored in the DNA is used by cells.
If you were to imagine the DNA as a musical instrument, the epigenome could be thought of as the sheet music that dictates which notes of the instrument are played.
Professor Lister’s research sheds light on the patterns and roles of the epigenome, which are critical for cellular function and the growth of humans, animals, and plants. His work is driving advances that will provide benefits to agriculture, human health, and medicine.
Perkins Director, Professor Peter Leedman, congratulated Professor Lister for being awarded the fellowship and for his important contributions to medical research.
“This is an enormous achievement and well deserved by Professor Lister who is contributing to groundbreaking advancements in science,” Professor Leedman said.
“Professor Lister is recognised as a leader in his field for his outstanding work over many years in the area of epigenomics.”
Professor Lister is a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at the University of Western Australia, and holds a joint position for his research on the human epigenome and how it impacts cell function in normal and disease states with the Perkins and UWA.
Professor Lister has previously been awarded some of Australia’s highest scientific honours including the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year (2014 – Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science), the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for Distinguished Research in Human Genetics (2014 – Australian Academy of Science), and the 2015 Metcalf Prize from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia.
