Professor Elizabeth Blackburn was awarded the Curtin Medal for Excellence in Medical Research at JCSMR, for her discovery of the telomere and its function, and her continued achievements since that discovery. Professor Blackburn pioneered the study of telomeres, caps that protect chromosomes in cells, and is a discoverer of telomerase, an enzyme that does the protecting. Her work has opened a new field of science, raising the possibility of such medical breakthroughs as understanding the ageing process in cells and interfering with cancerous cells. The Medal was presented at JCSMR by NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson AM. Tasmanian born Professor Blackburn was the first female Australian recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which she received jointly in 2009.