Profs Lindeman, Visvader share one of world’s oldest science prizes
28 August 2024
Professor Geoff Lindeman and Professor Jane Visvader have jointly received one of the world’s oldest science prizes from the UK’s The Royal Society.
Profs Lindeman and Visvader are Joint Head of the Breast Cancer Laboratory at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne.
As a clinician-scientist, Prof Lindeman is also a medical oncologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“We are absolutely delighted to have been jointly awarded this prestigious prize by the Royal Society,” Profs Lindeman and Visvader said.
“It is truly humbling to join the list of luminaries in the medical sciences who have been awarded the Buchanan Medal.
“We are cognisant that science is very much a ‘team sport’, and that this award really recognises a stellar team of devoted scientists and colleagues and patient advocates, who we have been fortunate to work with over the last 25 years.”
The Buchanan Medal was created and first awarded in 1897 in memory of London physician Sir George Buchanan (1831–1895).
It is just the third time the award - which recognises distinguished contributions to biomedical science - has gone to an Australian recipient.
Profs Lindeman and Visvader are recognised for their discoveries around breast stem and progenitor cells, which have supported new approaches to breast cancer treatment and prevention.
“Lives continue to be cut short from breast cancer, amounting to more than 680,000 breast cancer deaths each year around the globe,” Profs Lindeman and Visvader also said.
“This award will help us to highlight some of the progress that is being made, but also to advocate for the ongoing need to support fundamental laboratory research, which will be essential for delivering improved outcomes for the next generation.”
The Royal Society – the independent scientific academy of the UK - was founded in 1660 to support excellence in science and encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.
See all latest recipients of The Royal Society’s awards - including the world’s oldest science medal (the Copley Medal) first awarded in 1731 - here.