Biography

Professor Frances Separovic AO FAA is a Biophysical Chemist at the Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research area is 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 Associate Dean of the Science Faculty, became the first woman professor of chemistry (2005) and Head of School (2010-16) and Deputy Director of the Bio21 Institute (2017-23). She is past president of the Biophysical Society (USA) and Science Board member of the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). Frances has had several senior roles in professional societies, including President of Australian New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance (ANZMAG); General Treasurer of Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI); President of Australian Society for Biophysics (ASB); and Council member of International Union of Pure & Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). She was awarded the ASB Robertson Medal (2009), ANZMAG Medal (2011), Fellow of the Biophysical Society (USA) and ISMAR Fellow (2012), an IUPAC Distinguished Women of Chemistry and an UNSW Alumni Award - Science & Technology (2017), and RACI Margaret Sheil Leadership Award (2019). She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2018) and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (2019). Frances is the first female chemist elected to the Australian Academy of Science (2012) of which she is now Foreign Secretary.

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