9 October 2009
Monash University has congratulated Professor Elizabeth Blackburn on becoming Australia's eleventh - and the country's first female - Nobel Prize winner.
Professor Blackburn is a Sir Louis Matheson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Monash University's School of Biomedical Sciences. She is a regular visitor to Monash and contributes to the life of the school through student lectures, mentoring and research advice.
She spent time with staff and students in 2005 and 2007 and is scheduled to visit the University early next year.
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Professor Edwina Cornish congratulated Professor Blackburn for being awarded the Nobel Prize.
"It is important to recognise the enormous achievements of Elizabeth to human understanding of chromosome, but also the important role she has played inspring early career researchers and female scientists in Australia and across the world," Professor Cornish said.
Professor Blackburn was awarded the 2009 Nobel prize for Physiology or Medicine, along with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak of the US, for discovering an enzyme that helps chromosomes in cells stay eternally young.
The team found chromosomes are protected by telomeres (the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), and the enzyme telomerase (which makes telomere DNA).
These discoveries have direct implications on the understanding of cell growth and the mechanism and treatment of diseases such as cancer.
School of Biomedical Sciences Head of School, Professor Christina Mitchell said, "Professor Blackburn has contributed greatly to the development of the school and its students and her visits had made a real impact on both staff and post-graduate students.
She inspired us to improve our PhD student experience and our graduate programs. She actively engaged with PhD students, attended their PhD seminars and meet with them one on one, and for all it was an extremely exciting and valuable experience"
School of Biomedical Sciences PhD student Michele Davies met Professor Blackburn during her visit to Monash in 2005.
"I knew Professor Blackburn was an extraordinary scientist and we were often taught her work in lecturers and I had read much of her research, so it was a real honour to meet her," Ms Davies said.
"I was impressed with how generous she was with her time and her interest in our work. Professor Blackburn was very supportive and keen to talk about our research and how we were managing the work-life balance."
"It was an informal meeting but one which gave us a wonderful opportunity for a one-on-one discussion with one of the world's leading scientists," Ms Davies said.
Professor Blackburn has had a distinguished career in medicine. Among her awards are the Lasker Prize for Medical Research (2006) and the Gruber Prize for Genetics.
Earlier this year Professor Blackburn was listed among Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in The World. | 
