Congratulations, Professor Mark Dawson (Class of 1992)
Congratulations to past student Professor Mark Dawson (Class of 1992) on being awarded the prestigious Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.
Professor Dawson is a clinician-scientist and Peter Mac’s Associate Director of Research Translation. Over the past decade he has made pioneering discoveries in the field of epigenetics, revolutionising the treatment of blood cancers.
Mark was recognised in the 2020 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science ceremony, that was this year conducted virtually due to COVID-19. The Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science are Australia’s most prestigious awards for outstanding achievements in scientific research.
“Mark is a pioneer in the field of epigenetics, and its regulation in human health and disease. Over the past decade, he has made a range of groundbreaking discoveries, that have revolutionised the treatment of blood cancer. His research has laid the foundation for more than 30 clinical trials, across more than 20 countries, providing access to potentially life-extending novel therapies for people with cancer.”
On receiving the award, Mark acknowledged, “Our scientific research aims to understand how cancers develop, how they perpetuate and how they evade the most effective therapies we currently have. Ultimately, my goal as a clinician-scientist is to develop novel drugs that improve the outcomes of patients with cancer.”
