Biologist joins Darwin as Royal Society Fellow

Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is the national academy of science for the UK and the Commonwealth.  As the world’s oldest scientific academy it boasts an impressive list of Fellows, including Charles Darwin who was made a Fellow in 1839. 

Dr Ellis was nominated for his work in identifying the two key genes that determine whether plants are infected by rust fungi – a devastating crop disease which in epidemic years causes yield losses in cereal crops which can threaten world food security. 

“This honour is a great acknowledgement of the international significance of the work my group and I do in Australia,” Dr Ellis says.

“The CSIRO rust group’s work spans the R&D spectrum extending from fundamental research into the flax plant model system – with long-ranging outcomes – to applied research with immediate applications in cereal crops, such as wheat.”

Former Chief Scientist of Australia and Fellow of the Royal Society since 1982, CSIRO’s Dr Jim Peacock, says Dr Ellis’ election is well deserved.

“He is one of the leading plant pathologists in the world and his research groups have made major contributions to understanding the interactions of plants and pathogens,” Dr Peacock says. “It is difficult to think of someone who would be more worthy of this honour.”

In being elected, Dr Ellis joins a distinguished ‘club’ of Australian Royal Society Fellows including; Suzanne Cory, Jim Peacock and Sir Gustav Nossal. 

Dr Ellis has worked at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra since 1982, researching gene regulation and host-rust disease interactions in plants. Much of this work has been supported by the Australian grains industry through grants from the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

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