William James Peacock, AC, FAA, FRS, FTSE (born 14 December 1937) is an Australian molecular biologist who was Chief Scientist of Australia (2006–2008),[1] President of the Australian Academy of Science (2002–2006) and Chief of CSIRO Plant Industry (1978–2003).[2]

Peacock was born in Leura, New South Wales[3] and educated at the University of Sydney, where he studied botany and zoology and gained a PhD in genetics. He followed this with post-doctoral positions in genetics at the University of Oregon in Eugene and molecular biology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, before returning to Australia to work with the CSIRO.[2]

Peacock is a Member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) and the National Innovation Council and has served on the Australian Research Council (ARC) Grants Committee, the Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council (ASTEC) and the Academy of Science's Committee on Recombinant DNA Molecules (ASCORD). In 2000, Dr Peacock was joint recipient of the inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Science.

Peacock was appointed Chief Scientist of Australia on a part-time basis in March 2006, and his term concluded on 31 August 2008. Penny Sackett was appointed as his replacement, to take up the position on a full-time basis in November 2008.[4]

Honours and awards

Peacock has had a distinguished career in science and has received many honours. He was awarded the Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture in 1989 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1994.

Peacock was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in March 1982,[5] a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science, a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences, Foreign Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, and a Foundation Member Academia Bibliotheca Alexandrinae. He was awarded the Lemberg Medal by the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1978.[6]

References

  1. ^ Karen Percy (1 March 2006). "New chief scientist makes waves". The World Today. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
  2. ^ a b Virginia Gewin, Jim Peacock, chief scientist, Canberra, Australia, Nature Vol 442, No 7099, pg 220, 12 July 2006. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  3. ^ G.J. McCarthy; Helen Cohn (12 December 2017). "Peacock, William James (1937 – )". Biographical entry. Encyclopaedia of Australian Science.
  4. ^ Davis, Mark: Astronomer announced as new chief scientist, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 October 2008.
  5. ^ "Lists of Royal Society Fellows 1660–2007". London: The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Lemberg Medal Winners". Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Retrieved 31 January 2024.

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Government offices Preceded byRobin Batterham Chief Scientist of Australia 2006–2008 Succeeded byPenny Sackett
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