Professor Alan Cowman AC FRS FAA FAHMS is Acting Director at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne, Australia. He did his undergraduate degrees at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia followed by a PhD at WEHI. After a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at University of California – Berkeley with Gerry Rubin working on Drosophila he returned to WEHI and developed a laboratory studying malaria. He has worked on malaria for over 30 years and published over 360 papers on infection and pathogenesis to understand the function of proteins in Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe form of malaria.
Professor Alan Cowman AC is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society, the Australian Academy of Science, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. He was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his significant contributions to molecular parasitology, medical research and scientific education. The aim of his laboratory is to understand the function of proteins involved in the development of the malaria parasite. His laboratory collaborates with Merck USA to discover and develop novel antimalarials and a clinical candidate is currently in first-in-human clinical trials.
Updates from the National 2015 Group
Champions of Change National 2015 Group
Professor Alan Cowman AC is a Member of the Champions of Change National 2015 Group. Based in Victoria, the National 2015 Group represents some of Australia’s most significant local, national and international organisations. Members work within and across their organisations to improve the representation of women in leadership positions and non-traditional roles.