World-class researchers to Faculty of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine is delighted to welcome Professor Juergen Reichardt from University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine, Professor Juergen Götz from the Division of Psychiatry Research, University of Zurich, Switzerland and Dr Donald Keith McInnes from the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard University.

Professor Juergen Reichardt joins us in July as the newly appointed Plunkett Chair of Molecular Biology (Medicine). Professor Reichardt is a human molecular geneticist and biochemist of some fame. He trained with an outstanding, Nobel-prize winning biochemist and a ground-breaking, world-class human geneticist, Paul Berg, and has over 70 peer-reviewed publications to his name. He is also the editor of two journals and a frequent reviewer of manuscripts, grant proposals and institutions. He currently is a sought-after speaker in the US. Juergen Reichardt has been awarded a US patent and has received several awards in the US.

His current research interest is on the investigation of metabolic genes, including the molecular analysis of the SRD5A2 gene along with several others.

Professor Juergen Götz joins us as Professor of Molecular Biology in the Brain and Mind Research Institute. Professor Götz is a leading researcher in molecular medicine with an outstanding international reputation in the development of cellular and animal models for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. He has filed two patents based on his research.

Professor Götz is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, Neurowissenschaftliche Gesellschaft, Deutscher Hochschulverband, and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is an invited reviewer for a number of international peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Neuroscience, European Journal of Neuroscience, Trends in Molecular Medicine, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Neuroscience Research, Trends in Genetics, Neuron, and Journal of Neurochemistry.

Dr Donald Keith McInnes has been awarded a Packer Policy Fellowship (which is part of the Australian-American Health Policy Fellowships Program of the Commonwealth Fund) and will be based with the Discipline of General Practice working with Professor Michael Kidd and Professor Deborah Saltman. He will be with the Faculty of Medicine for seven months from July 2005.

His program of research activities will be to examine the computerisation of Australian general practice and how this is leading to improvements in health care quality and safety. His program of activities will also be coordinated and supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

The Packer Fellowship program offers a unique opportunity for outstanding, mid-career US. health policy researchers and practitioners to spend up to 10 months in Australia conducting original research and working with leading Australian health policy experts on issues relevant to both countries.

Pictured: Juergen Reichardt