AAHMS jian zhou medal

The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences awards the Jian Zhou Medal for outstanding achievement in the area of research.

Produced in collaboration with Science In Public.

2023

First responders in our skin and gut revealed: Prof Laura Mackay

“Offering new ways to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases”

A treatment for every child: Professor David Ziegler

“Children are not little adults, their cancers are different”

2022

Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha is the 2022 recipient of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) Jian Zhou Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to global anaemia research.

Professor Pasricha leads one of the world’s preeminent research programs on global health anaemia control at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), and his work has led to the delivery of evidence-based care for children and pregnant mothers worldwide. His research program aims has been translated into iron policies by the World Health Organization (WHO) that have been implemented in more than 50 low- and middle-income countries to combat the global burden of anaemia.

2021

Professor Sherene Loi challenged the dogma that immunotherapy was not possible with breast cancer and led a series of treatment trials that are already changing the lives of her patients.

She was also the first to show that immune cell infiltration of breast tumour tissue strongly predicts improved survival in some types of breast cancer, and led the development and standardisation of this unique biomarker – to where it is now routine in the pathology work-up of breast cancers

Professor Di Yu was awarded the 2021 Jian Zhou Medal in recognition of his landmark discoveries in revealing the differentiation and functions of T cells in human health and disease, research which has enabled new diagnosis and therapy for autoimmune, allergic and infectious diseases, and the improvement for vaccine efficacy. 

2020

Professor Andrew Steer is an international authority on tropical infectious diseases affecting children.

He has established global community-based treatment programs for scabies and other tropical skin infections, influenced vaccine design for group A streptococcal disease, and introduced tests and control programs for rheumatic heart disease.

Professor Sarah-Jane Dawson has pioneered the clinical use of genomics for early diagnosis and management of cancer.

Her work as a clinician and scientist has led to a rapid expansion of research in cancer genomics, and improved survival outcomes for cancer patients.