Career Recognition Awards

Career Recognition Award – Nominations for 2023 STAY TUNED FOR ROUND TO OPEN SOON!

What is the award? The Australasian Cytometry Society Career Recognition Award is the highest recognition given by the society and carries with it all the rights and privileges of a Life Member with the exemption of payment of annual membership subscriptions.

Who to nominate? Nominees who have made a substantial contribution to the goals of the society through promoting research, development or applications and disseminating knowledge of cytometry in Australia and New Zealand. The nominee must have been a member of the ACS for 15 or more years. The ACS Executive may make this award to a person who, in its opinion has rendered distinguished service to the field of cytometry and/or the ACS.

When to nominate? The closing date is TBC, but it is likely to be at the end of September 2023, so start preparing your nomination. You should receive a confirmation that your nomination is under consideration a week after nominations close, and successful awards will to be announced at the ACS Annual Conference.

How to nominate? To be considered for this award the following information must be provided: A nomination signed by one proposer, one seconder and five other signatories each of whom must be a Member of the ACS; a curriculum vitae summary and photograph suitable for publication on the ACS website; a statement summarising the nominee’s major contributions to the discipline and/or practice of cytometry, with information attesting to the high standards of conduct of the candidate; a letter of recommendation (approx. 1 page) from the nomination proposer; a bibliography of publications, contributions, service to their relevant discipline.

Email nominations to the ACS Secretary at: secretary@cytometry.org.au

Past Recipients

ACS President Matt Linden (Left) with Career Recognition Award Winners Geza Paukovics, Bill Sewell and John Zaunders.
(Photo by Adrian Smith)

William (Bill) Sewell BSc MB BS Syd, PhD Melb, FRCPA (Awarded 2019)

Bill was nominated by Neil McNamara and John Zaunders. Bill’s major contributions to the establishment of novel cytometric markers of leukaemia and lymphoma as well as advancement of the understanding of the pathogenesis of allergy and immunodeficiency is reflected in his significant track record of highly cited publications. Bill has provided more than 20 years of service to the cytometry society through a range of executive and volunteer roles, including vice president, involvement in conference organising committees for Sydney meetings, and invited speaker presentations at ACS events dating back as far as 1990. Bill has mentored a number of scientists who have developed into leaders of clinical cytometry in the region, including Sandy Smith, Margaret Cooley, Virginia Nink and Stephen Le. 

John Zaunders, PhD (Awarded 2019)

John was nominated by Helen McGuire and Adrian Smith. John’s enormous contribution to characterisation of T cell subsets in viral infection is widely recognised and reflected in his outstanding publication track record, including a list of publications that was 17 pages long and had amassed more than 9,000 citations. John has led development of seminal innovations in cytometric tests, as well as the development of software for data analysis. John has been at every meeting since 2006 and has made an enormous contribution to the society, including as past president, secretary, councillor, conference chairperson and through the development of methods guidelines for lymphocyte phenotyping dating back to 1996. John is also very prominent in grass roots cytometry education and advancement in NSW.

Geza Paukovics Dip Med Cytopathol, B Med Lab Sci (Awarded 2019)

Geza was nominated by Eva Orlowski and Maggie Costa, with a letter of support from Suzanne Crowe AM. Geza was recognised for his pioneering work in establishing infectious PC3 sorting platforms in Australia, his leadership in changing the culture of recognition received by shared resource laboratory staff in research and research outputs, and his mentorship of many people who have gone on to become emerging national and international leaders of shared resource laboratories. This reflects not only an ability to impart technical knowledge and understanding of science, but an ability to foster a lifelong engagement with the field of cytometry. Geza has provided and facilitated service to the society over many years, including local organising committees, workshops and cytometry education

Heddy
ACS Career Award 2018 recipient Dr Heddy Zola (Right) with ACS President Sandy Smith (Centre) and ACS2018 Conference Chairperson Kate Pilkington (Left).

Heddy Zola, Awarded 2018

  • Flinders University School of Medicine,  Department of Clinical Immunology at Flinders Medical Centre,  Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute and Director of Research Director at SA Pathology
  • Set up the first hybridoma lab and the first Cell Sorter Lab in SA
  • Antibodies for Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens (HLDA) Workshops and helped establish CD9, CD14, CD15 and CD19.
  • Chair of the international HLDA organisation from 2001 to 2007
  • 240 peer-reviewed papers; contributed to key references
  • Founding member of AFCG; hosted second Meeting 1979/80
  • Chaired 27th AFCG, combined with HLDA and ASI 2004

Grace Chojnowski, Awarded 2017

  • Alfred Hospital, Peter MacCallum CC, QIMR
  • Member of the AFCG/ACS for 30 years
  • First served on an organising committee in 1989
  • First in Australia to set up at CD4 counting for HIV.
  • Organised conferences & workshops
  • Written guidelines, mentored, sat on national and international committees.
  • Worked extensively for the flow cytometry community in Australia and abroad
  • Supported Flow Cytometry communities in Africa, Asia and New Guinea.

Mary Sartor, Awarded 2017

  • Westmead Hospital, NSW
  • Reference Laboratory for international clinical trials
  • Utility of Flow Cytometry Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (CD34 & MRD)
  • ACS/AFCG member since 1993; Secretary 2006
  • Presenter, program & workshops organiser
  • Clinical Guidelines
  • Oncology QAP convenor 17 years

Geoff Osborne, Awarded 2017

  • ANU, Queensland Brain Institute
  • High end assay development, including sorting brain tumour cells
  • Developed in-house instrumentation and software
  • AFCG/ACS member since 1989
  • Active contributor in Australasian Society: Council, Committees, Workshops
  • International Cytometry Workshops (9 y)

Don Lear, Awarded 2017

  • Queensland Repatriation Hospital; Sullivan & Nicolaides Pathology, Qld
  • AFCG/ACS member for a long time
  • Council Treasurer & Secretary; Clinical Guidelines, Conference & Workshop Committees