Professor Aleksandra Filipovska, centre, with members of her research team at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research
Congratulations to internationally respected mitochondrial genomics researcher Professor Aleksandra Filipovska, who has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
Professor Filipovska – who is Deputy Director of the national ARC Centre of Synthetic Biology, an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia and the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, and an Honorary Professor at The Kids Research Institute Australia – is one of 15 women and 16 men welcomed as new Fellows to the Academy.
Professor Filipovska is internationally renowned for her pioneering research in mitochondrial genomics and disease.
Her research focuses on mitochondria – often described as the powerhouses that provide cells with energy – with particular emphasis on how mutations in genes encoding for mitochondrial proteins can lead to disease, and on developing new therapies for currently incurable metabolic diseases.
She has played a pivotal role in developing the mitochondrial gene expression field, developing technologies that reveal how mitochondrial genes are regulated, and transforming diagnosis for patients with mitochondrial and metabolic diseases.
As part of her service to the community Professor Filipovska is Director of the Mito Foundation and a Chair of its Scientific and Medical Advisory Panel – roles that have enabled her to advocate for people with mitochondrial disease and for mitochondrial donation.
Most recently Professor Filipovska has licensed new generation gene-editing tools, applied to neurodegenerative disease clinical trials.
“It is a privilege to be honoured by the Academy and act as its ambassador. My goal is to drive cutting-edge discovery research that benefits the community,” Professor Filipovska said.
Among her other roles, Professor Filipovska is Co-Head of the Mitochondrial Team at The Kids Research Institute Australia. In 2019 she established the Mitochondrial Disease Therapy Group at the Institute.
Her research has been widely recognised and she has received awards including the Merck Medal, Australian Academy of Sciences Ruth Stephens Gani Medal, and the Australasia Ross Crozier Medal.
The Kids Research Institute Australia Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis congratulated Professor Filipovska on her Fellowship, saying it was entirely fitting that her leading-edge research had been recognised by the Academy.
Professor Filipovska’s election to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences is well deserved and reflects the international regard in which she is held, for work which represents the very best of innovative scientific endeavour.
“Western Australia is fortunate to have researchers of her calibre contributing to the extremely important genomics research going on in this State, including at The Kids Research Institute Australia,” Professor Carapetis said.