Professor Thomas Preiss, Leader of the RNA Biology Group, was awarded the Julian Wells Medal and Lecture at the Lorne Genome Conference.

The Julian Wells Medal and Lecture was established in recognition of the major contributions made by Julian Wells to the development of molecular biology in Australia, to the initiation and success of the Lorne Genome Conference and for his research in understanding genome organisation and function.

The Julian Wells Medal is awarded annually to a scientist who:

• Has made an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the organisation and expression of the genome.
• Has made a major contribution to the development of this field of research in Australia.
• Has supported and/or contributed to the Lorne Genome conference.

The focus of this award is on recognising the achievements of active scientists, rather than being a lifetime achievement award.