It’s in the genes: Former Mackay student’s OAM honour

Professor Sarah Medland has been awarded for her service to medical research in the genetics field

Former Mackay North State High School student, Professor Sarah Medland, said she was honoured and "very humbled" to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia award. Picture: Contributed

A FORMER Mackay student’s service to medical research in the field of genetics has been recognised with a Queen’s Birthday Honour.

Professor Sarah Medland said she was honoured and “very humbled” to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia award.

“This honour emphasises the importance of basic science research in genetics, which provides an essential foundation for translational and clinical science,” Dr Medland said.

“I thank all those who have given their time to participate in our research studies and the amazing colleagues I’ve had the opportunity to work with.”

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Dr Medland is the principal research fellow at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer as well as the co-ordinator for the Mental Health Research Program and the lead investigator of the Australian Genetics of Bipolar Disorder Study.

QIMR Berghofer director and CEO Fabienee Mackay said Dr Medland was a worthy OAM recipient.

“Sarah has been a leading mind in the genetics of mental health and we’re proud of her commitment to helping find answers to diseases and conditions that affect so many millions of people around the world,” Professor Mackay said.

Her parents Ross and Jocelyn Medland said they were proud of their daughter’s achievements and grateful for the support she has been given by QIMR Berghofer to pursue her genetic research.

Dr Medland also co-founded the ENIGMA Neuroimaging Genetics Consortium, chairs the Genetics Core and is a senior research fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Centre.

She is also an honorary professor in the Department of Psychology and the School of Medicine at the University of Queensland.

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Over her career, Dr Medland has accumulated a formidable list of more than 300 research publications and has received numerous awards.

Among them is the Ruth Stephens Gani Medal from the Australian Academy of Science awarded in 2017, and in 2015, she was the first person outside of the US and Europe to be awarded the Theodore Reich Young Investigators Award in 2015.

Dr Medland will be presented with the insignia of the OAM at an investiture ceremony later this year.

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