JCSMR researcher recognised with the Australian Academy of Science’s 2023 honorific

Professor Si Ming Man
14 March 2023

Professor Si Ming Man of the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) has been awarded the 2023 Gottschalk Medal for uncovering the role of inflammation in health and disease.

This makes him one of the 22 leading scientists in Australia who are recognised with a prestigious honorific award by The Australian Academy of Science this year.

An early-career honorific, the Gottschalk Medal recognises researchers up to 10 years post-PhD in the calendar year of nomination who have made significant contributions to biomedical sciences.

“I think this medal will continue to inspire me, and other young scientists, to continue taking risks with their research and dream big,” Professor Man remarks in a video published by the Australian Academy of Sciences. (See the full video below)

Professor Man investigates the role of innate immunity in infectious diseases and cancer.

Using state-of-the-art technologies to study how immune sensors recognise pathogens and shape inflammatory responses against infection and what role uncontrolled inflammation plays in cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases, the Man Group has significantly advanced our understanding of inflammation as an underlying mechanism of health and disease.

In years of research, the team have pinpointed the parts of microbes that cause inflammation during infection, discovered host defence molecules that directly attack microbes, and identified the importance of these molecules in preventing cancer.

Professor Man has received several awards and honours in recent years, including the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in 2022, the CSL Centenary Fellowship in 2021, and The Australian Society for Medical Research Peter Doherty Leading Light Award in 2020.

The Gottschalk Medal adds a testament to his talent and dedication and will undoubtedly continue to inspire others to pursue careers in science and contribute to advancing knowledge and human health.

For potential project opportunities, please visit the Man Group.