Alan Cowman

Alan Cowman
AC FRS FAA
Born
Alan Frederick Cowman

(1954-12-27) 27 December 1954 (age 69)[3]
Alma materGriffith University (BSc)[3]
University of Melbourne (PhD)
Scientific career
FieldsMalaria
Microbiology
Parasitology[1]
InstitutionsWalter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
University of California, Berkeley
ThesisGenes of the protozoan parasite Babesia bovis (1983)
Doctoral advisorDavid J. Kemp[2]
Websitewehi.edu.au/people/alan-cowman

Alan Frederick Cowman AC, FRS,[4] FAA, CorrFRSE, FAAHMS, FASP, FASM (born 27 December 1954) is an internationally acclaimed malaria researcher[5] whose work specialises in researching the malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and the molecular mechanisms it uses to evade host responses and antimalarial drugs.[6] As of May 2024, he is the deputy directory and Laboratory Head of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne, and his laboratory[7] continues to work on understanding how Plasmodium falciparum, infects humans and causes disease.[3][8] He was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in 2011 and awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his "eminent service to the biological sciences, notably to molecular parasitology, to medical research and scientific education, and as a mentor."[9]

Education

Cowman was awarded his Bachelor of Science (honours) from Griffith University in 1979 and received his PhD from WEHI and the University of Melbourne in 1984, with David Kemp as his supervisor. His PhD thesis involved the cattle parasite Babesia bovis: in conjunction with other students they developed cloning, immunochemical and recombinant DNA techniques to analyze the parasite.[2][10] This was followed by two postdoctoral projects and further exploring the malaria parasite at WEHI. He then took up a postdoctoral position to study Drosophila at the University of California, Berkeley in 1984.[11][2] He was awarded an honorary doctorate from QUT university in Brisbane, Australia in 2020.[12]

Career

Cowman returned to WEHI in 1986, and concentrated his research on genes that make malaria parasites resistant to drugs.[2] In 1999 he was appointed head of the division of infection and immunity,[11] a position which he held until he was appointed deputy director of WEHI in 2015. He also holds honorary professorships with the University of Melbourne and Harvard University.[citation needed]

Cowman's work has been supported by a senior principal research fellowship from the NHMRC since 2018, a Wellcome Trust Australian senior research fellowship in 1988, then by three successive international research scholarships from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He held an Australia fellowship from 2007 to 2012.[13]

His research focus has been on protozoan infections, in particular the cause of malaria (Plasmodium falciparum), which kill over 400,000 people each year world-wide.[14] He made significant advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms which the malaria parasites use to take over human cells,[15][16] and how they evade the body's natural defenses. He found that once malaria parasites take over human red blood cells, and remodels them so they can reproduce without triggering the patient's immune system. He also investigated how the parasites build resistance to antimalarial drugs.[4] These two lines of research have helped to guide the development of new drugs, supplemented by his team's monitoring the spread of drug resistance strains.[11] He also conducts research into the genetic properties of the parasite, and he was the first researcher to develop a live genetically attenuated vaccine of P. falciparum.[4]

Publications

Cowman has published extensively: as of January 2023, Google Scholar listed over 350 of his papers, and 48,669 citations of his works. Google Scholar calculated his h-index as 124,[17] while Scopus gave it as 91.[1][18]

Honours and awards

1993 Gottschalk Medal for Medical Science and Biology from the Australian Academy of Science[19]
1994 ASBMB Boehringer-Mannheim Medal[11]
1998 Glaxo Award for Advanced Research in Infectious Diseases[20]
2001 Centenary Medal awarded by the Australian government[21]
2001 Fellow, Australian Academy of Science[22]
2006 Lemberg Medal awarded by the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology[11]
2010 Howard Taylor Ricketts Medal from the University of Chicago[23]
2010 Glaxo-Wellcome Australia Medal[11]
2010-2014 president, World Federation of Parasitology[22]
2011 Fellow of The Royal Society[4]
2013 Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation, Victorian Government and veski[22]
2013 Mahathir Science Award, Malaysia[24]
2014 Award for Research Excellence from the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists[25]
2016 Wellcome Trust grant for development of antimalarial drugs with Merck & Co., Inc.[22]
2016 Research Excellence Award from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recognising outstanding performance and excellence in health and medical research innovation.[26]
2019 Fellow, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (FAHMS)[27]
2019 Companion of the Order of Australia[9]
2020 Corresponding Fellow, The Royal Society (Edinburgh)

Professional activities

Professional societies

Australia Society for Parasitology

Australian Society for Microbiology

Australian Academy of Science

The Royal Society (United Kingdom)

Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Selected international and national committees

2010–14 president, World Federation of Parasitologists

2010, 2015, 2020 member, quinquennial review committee, Welcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK

2013 chair, 'Target identification for malaria drug discovery' Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2013-                    

2013-2022 member, appointments and promotion committee QIMR Berghofer, Queensland, Australia

2014 fellow appointment panel, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington, USA

2015 Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance, chair of working group, Boston, USA

References

  1. ^ a b Alan Cowman publications indexed by Google Scholar
  2. ^ a b c d Sherman, Irwin (2011). Reflections on a century of malaria biochemistry. Academic Press. pp. 79–80. ISBN 9780080921839.
  3. ^ a b c Anon (2013). "Cowman, Prof. Alan Frederick". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). Oxford: A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U257471. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ^ a b c d "AlanCowman – Royal Society". Royalsociety.org. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  5. ^ Research, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical (10 June 2019). "Queen's Birthday honours for malaria scientist, philanthropist and board member". WEHI. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Alan Cowman". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Alan Cowman-Lab team". The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Professor Alan Cowman". WEHI. Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Professor Alan Frederick Cowman – Award Extract". honours.pmc.gov.au. Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019. For eminent service to the biological sciences, notably to molecular parasitology, to medical research and scientific education, and as a mentor.
  10. ^ Angus, Beverley Margaret (1998). Tick fever and the cattle tick in Australia 1829-1996. Dept. of Primary Industries. p. 471. ISBN 9780724267606.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Alan Cowman". ASBMB. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  12. ^ Technology (QUT), Queensland University of. "Honorary doctorates". QUT. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Alan Cowman". 1st Malaria World Congress. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Study maps malaria parasite giving hope for vaccine". news.am. NEWS.am Medicine.
  15. ^ Mark, David (4 February 2010). "Protein 'ushers' key to beating malaria". AM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  16. ^ Cowman, Alan F.; Crabb, Brendan S.; Simpson, Richard J.; Koning-Ward, Tania F. de; Pearce, J. Andrew; Kapp, Eugene A.; Patsiouras, Heather; Gilson, Paul R.; Günther, Svenja; Hodder, Anthony N.; Boddey, Justin A. (February 2010). "An aspartyl protease directs malaria effector proteins to the host cell". Nature. 463 (7281): 627–631. Bibcode:2010Natur.463..627B. doi:10.1038/nature08728. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 2818761. PMID 20130643.
  17. ^ "Alan F. Cowman". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  18. ^ Alan Cowman publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
  19. ^ "Gottschalk Medal | Awardees". science.org.au. Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  20. ^ "Alumni Members | GSK Award for Research Excellence". au.gsk.com. Glaxo Smith Kline Australia. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Professor Alan COWMAN – Award Extract". honours.pmc.gov.au. Australian government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 10 June 2019. For service to Australian society and science in medical research
  22. ^ a b c d "Alan Cowman-Achievements". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Malaria researcher wins Howard Taylor Ricketts award". EurekAlert! press release. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  24. ^ "Professor Alan Cowman wins Malaysian science award". Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  25. ^ "FAOBMB Award for Research Excellence". FAOBMB – Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists and Molecular Biologists Inc. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  26. ^ "2016 Research Excellence Award". nhmrc.gov.au. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Academy elects new Fellows and discusses global pandemic threat at annual meeting". AAHMS – Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.