Professor Jeffery Errington from the Faculty of Medicine and Health and Professor Tony Weiss from the Faculty of Science have been made Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science, honoured for their outstanding contributions to science. 

Academy of Science President, Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC, congratulated the new Fellows of 2025, and said they represent the exceptional breadth and depth of Australian scientific excellence. 

“The Academy is proud to welcome such a diverse group of outstanding scientists,” Professor Jagadish said.

“Each Fellow has made remarkable contributions in their field, demonstrating the vital role that science plays in addressing our most pressing challenges and expanding human knowledge.”

Professor Jeffery Errington – ARC Australian Laureate Fellow at the School of Medical Sciences – is celebrated for his pioneering studies on the molecular cell biology of bacteria and his laboratory has uncovered many genes and proteins that support essential bacteria functions. 

In recent years, his laboratory has explored how unusual types of bacteria can grow and multiply without a cell wall, leading to a better understanding of how some bacteria survive antibiotics such as penicillin, and why certain infections return. 

Professor Errington founded and directed the world’s first research Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology at the United Kingdom’s Newcastle University, as well as two spin-out companies working on antibiotic discovery. 

“It’s a huge honour to be elected to the Australian Academy of Science, joining an academy with so many eminent, world-leading academics,” Professor Errington said. “But any success that I’ve had during my career has in large part been due to the efforts of scores of talented, enthusiastic and productive lab members – graduate students and post-doctoral students – who did most of the work for which I am being honoured.”

Professor Anthony Weiss leads Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, and is a multifaceted biomedical scientist, mentor and translational leader. At the University, Professor Weiss is the McCaughey Chair in Biochemistry and NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and a world leader in molecular studies into the elasticity of tissues like skin and blood vessels, helping to develop treatments for scars and surgical wounds.

Professor Weiss said: “I thank the Academy for this wonderful honour. This special recognition is only possible because of the dedication and enthusiasm of my amazing lab members.”

Professor Weiss’s many innovation awards include the Prime Minister’s Prize, NSW Premier’s Prize, Eureka Prize, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering’s Clunies Ross Award, and Australian Academy of Science’s Ian Wark Medal. He is one of a select handful of triple Fellows of Australia’s major science and technology academies.