Professor Jürgen Götz, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney
Winner: Biomedical Sciences Category, NSW Scientist of the Year 2009 Awards

Professor Götz is the Chair of Molecular Biology and Director of the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Laboratory at the Brain and Mind Research Institute of the University of Sydney and is a recognised international leader in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research.

His understanding of the toxicity of certain elements on the brain has been used in advancing therapeutic intervention and is contributing to the development of better treatments for sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease. There are an estimated 245,000 people with dementia in Australia. These numbers are expected to increase to 591,000 by 2030 and again to 1.13 million people by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Australia).

Professor Götz received the 2002 Georg-Friedrich-Götz Prize of the University of Zurich in recognition of his outstanding research achievements; and the NSW BioFirst Award ($400k) in 2005. He regularly speaks by invitation at the most important international conferences in his research area and is closely involved in peer review for grant bodies and journals, with an average of one review a week.

Since moving to Australia, he has been a member of the Grant Review Panel of the National Health & Medical Research Council, and in 2009 he has been the Chair. He is Associate Editor of JAD, the leading specialist journal in the field. Since 1999, he has secured more than A$8.5 million as first or sole Chief Investigator in competitive research funding from governments, industry and philanthropic institutions.