The Royal Society of New South Wales was delighted to learn of the recognition of three of its Fellows in the recently announced list of new Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS), elected in late October 2024.

They are Professor Deborah Lupton FRSN FASSA FAHMS, the SHARP Professor and Vitalities Laboratory Leader of UNSW Sydney, Professor Raina Macintyre FRSN FAHMS, the Head of the Biosecurity Program at UNSW Sydney, and Professor Tony Weiss AM FRSN FTSE FAHMS, holder of the McCaughey Chair in Biochemistry at the University of Sydney.

The Council of the Royal Society of New South Wales extends its warmest congratulations to each of the new AAHMS Fellows.

The Academy citation for Professor Lupton notes that her research is interdisciplinary, spanning public health, medical sociology, digital health, and communication studies. She has three decades of experience in researching the social dimensions of lived experiences of illness and disease, the political dimensions of medicine and public health, and health and risk communication. She is internationally recognised for her foundational scholarship applying contemporary sociocultural theory to medicine and public health topics. She has been awarded two honorary doctorates from European universities. She is one of the top-most cited social researchers worldwide. 

The citation for Professor Macintyre notes that she is an internationally recognised researcher in the fields of infectious diseases and vaccinology. She has contributed a seminal body of research on vaccinology, face masks, respirators and transmission of respiratory pathogens, as well as epidemic response and emerging infectious diseases — including COVID-19. Her vaccine research spans 20 years, including public health programs, vaccine clinical trials, mathematical modelling and epidemiology. As an expert in smallpox and other category A bioterrorism agents, she is also a respected, world authority in biosecurity, having worked on methods for detection and prevention of bioterrorism and biowarfare. 

The citation for Professor Weiss notes that he is an outstanding multifaceted biomedical innovator, mentor and leader. He is a world leader in molecular studies of human tropoelastin and its assembly to make three-dimensional elastin protein biomaterials. His many patents drove Elastagen’s recent commercial success in one of Australia’s largest healthcare transactions. Prominent innovation awards include the Prime Minister’s Prize, NSW Premier’s Prize, Order of Australia, Eureka Prize, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering’s Clunies Ross Award, and Australian Academy of Science’s Ian Wark Medal.