The Kirby Institute's Professor Gail Matthews is among 27 of Australia's top medical and health researchers elected as Fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS), in recognition of their outstanding contributions to health and medical research in Australia.
The Academy welcomed the new Fellows at a ceremony on Thursday evening.
Prof. Matthews was elected Fellow of AAHMS for her work on therapeutic interventions for HIV, viral hepatitis, and COVID-19.
“I am proud to have been elected as a Fellow of the AAHMS. The academy is an important voice ensuring the most important health and medical science issues for Australians are addressed and in joining this prestigious group, I look forward to continuing to progress research on equitable access to lifesaving treatments, especially for marginalised and at-risk groups,” said Prof Matthews.
Prof. Matthews is a clinical academic in infectious diseases whose research includes acute hepatitis C infection, HIV and viral hepatitis including hepatitis B, acute COVID-19 treatments and long term sequelae of COVID-19 as well as infections in people who inject drugs. She is Head of the Kirby Institute’s Therapeutic and Vaccine Research Program, and leads a number of significant global collaborations, including the recently completed international D²EFT trial on second-line HIV treatment, the results of which she announced earlier this year, and has recently been appointed Chair of STRIVE, a major global ‘network of networks’ specialising in clinical trials currently focussed on pandemic preparedness. She is also leading the ADAPT cohort study, which is tracking the progress of long COVID patients at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney and was seminal in identifying an immunological signature for long COVID.
Kirby Institute Director, Professor Anthony Kelleher, said: “Gail’s election to the AAHMS is a fitting recognition of her significant contributions to research and clinical care for some of Australia’s most at-risk populations. As a Fellow of AAHMS, I know that Gail will continue to produce high-impact research that saves lives.”
The AAHMS is an independent, interdisciplinary body of 475 Fellows, elected by their peers for their outstanding and exceptional contributions to health and medical science in Australia.