Frances Separovic

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic AO FAA (University of Melbourne)

Professor Frances Separovic is a biophysical chemist and deputy director of the Bio21 Institute at the University of Melbourne. Her research group studies the structure and dynamics of molecules in biological membranes, with a focus on peptide antibiotics and toxins. Frances joined the University of Melbourne in 1996, where she served as Assistant Dean (EO) and Associate Dean of the Science Faculty, and became the first woman professor of chemistry (2005) and Head of School (2010). 
 
She is Foreign Secretary of the Australian Academy of Science, past-president of the Biophysical Society (USA) and vice-president Division I of the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Frances has had several senior roles in professional societies, including International Union of Pure & Applied Biophysics (IUPAB) Council, President of Australian New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance (ANZMAG), General Treasurer of Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) and President of Australian Society for Biophysics (ASB). She was awarded the ASB Robertson Medal (2009), the ANZMAG Medal (2011), Fellow of the Biophysical Society (USA) and ISMAR Fellow (2012), and the RACI Margaret Sheil Leadership Award (2019). 
 
Frances is the first female chemist elected to the Australian Academy of Science (2012), and in 2017 was an IUPAC Distinguished Women of Chemistry and received an UNSW Alumni Award - Science & Technology. She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2018) and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (2019).