Medical researcher Professor Thomas Preiss has been named an Adjunct Group Leader (Faculty) of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory Australia (EMBL Australia) in recognition of his pioneering work on stem cells.
Professor Preiss, leader of the RNA Biology Group at John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), has also been awarded the distinction of an EMBL Australia Collaborating Laboratory.
EMBL Australia was created to maximise the benefits of Australia's associate membership of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, creating opportunities for internationalising Australian research, empowering and training our best early career researchers, and embedding powerful new tools such as bioinformatics and systems biology into Australian life science.
Adjunct appointments participate actively in the various scientific endeavours and programs of EMBL Australia.
Before arriving at ANU, Professor Thomas Preiss had previously been a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Professor Matthias Hentze at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Since relocating to JCSMR, a collaboration has commenced between the two research leaders, focusing first on microRNA biology, and more recently on the identification of RNA-binding proteins and potential links between intermediary metabolism and gene regulation via RNA-enzyme interactions.
Professor Preiss and Professor Hentze have now been collaborating continuously for seven years, resulting in significant shared funding, 13 primary research papers, two reviews as co-authors, four reviews, and one book chapter.
A further substantial primary research paper is currently in preparation, and the collaboration is expected to continue well into the future based on current joint funding and co-supervision of PhD students.
