Elizabeth Finkel Explained

Elizabeth Finkel
Citizenship:Australian
Other Names:Ella Finkel
Alma Mater:Monash University
University of Melbourne
Occupation:Author, journalist
Spouse:Alan Finkel

Elizabeth "Ella" Finkel (née Sher) is an Australian science journalist, author and communicator. A former biochemist, she has been broadcast on ABC Radio National, and written for publications such as Science, The Lancet, Nature Medicine, The Bulletin, New Scientist, The Age and The Monthly. In 2005, Finkel co-founded the popular science magazine COSMOS, served as Editor in Chief from 2013 to 2018 and she remains its Editor at Large. In 2016 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her science communication work and philanthropy.[1] In 2019, Finkel was awarded a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from Monash University and the Medal of the Australian Society for Medical Research.[2] She now serves as a Vice Chancellor's Fellow at La Trobe University[3] and on advisory committees for La Trobe University Press, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) and the Melbourne Zoo.

Education

Born in 1956 in Warsaw, Poland, Ella migrated to Melbourne with her family in 1957. She attended Princess Hill Primary School in North Carlton, St Kilda Park Primary School, Caulfield Central, and Mac.Robertson Girls' High School.

In 1978 she completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours at Monash University, with a thesis on ‘Regulation of the mitochondrial genome’. Finkel then started a PhD in biochemistry at University of Melbourne's Department of Medicine titled "Studies of the 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor".

In post-doctoral research, she spent one year in John Baxter's laboratory at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), working on the regulation of the human growth hormone gene. This was followed by four years in Patrick H. O'Farrell's laboratory at UCSF, investigating the genes that sculpt a fruit fly egg into an embryo – work that was published in Nature.

Personal life

Ella has been married to neuroscientist, entrepreneur and former Chief Scientist of Australia Alan Finkel since 1982.[4] They have two sons and live in Melbourne. Through the A & E Finkel Foundation[5] the Finkels support diverse projects centred around education, research and quality journalism.

Selected awards

Selected publications

Books

Articles

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cosmos editor-in-chief receives Queen's Birthday honour . 19 August 2016 . 13 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161013235417/https://cosmosmagazine.com/society/cosmos-editor-in-chief-receives-queen-s-birthday-honour . dead .
  2. Web site: ASMR 1The Australian Society for MedicalResearch2019QUEENSLAND HEALTH & MEDICAL RESEARCH AWARDS . Australian Society for Medical Research . 19 August 2021.
  3. Web site: La Trobe welcomes Dr Elizabeth Finkel . La Trobe University . 20 August 2021.
  4. News: Wilmoth . Peter . Two of us: Inside the marriage of top scientists Alan and Elizabeth Finkel . 19 August 2021 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 23 March 2019.
  5. Web site: The Trustee For The A & E Finkel Foundation Trust . CharityGuide . 19 August 2021.
  6. Web site: Journalism Awards . National Press Club of Australia . 20 August 2021.
  7. Book: Finkel . Elizabeth . Stem Cells: Controversy at the Frontiers of Science . 1 April 2005 . ABC Books . 192 . 20 August 2021.
  8. Book: Finkel . Elizabeth . The Genome Generation . 2012 . Melbourne University Press . 9780522856477 . 274 .
  9. Book: Finkel . Elizabeth . The Best Australian Science Writing 2012 . 2012 . NewSouth . 9781742233482 . 256 . 20 August 2021.
  10. News: Finkel . Elizabeth . Countdown to iBlastoids . 20 August 2021 . The Monthly . 1 June 2021.
  11. News: Finkel . Elizabeth . Chasing the miracle of gene therapy . 20 August 2021 . The Monthly . March 2019.
  12. Web site: Finkel . Elizabeth . Lines in the sand: Coming to terms with Patricia Piccinini . Queensland Art Gallery . 20 March 2018 . 20 August 2021.
  13. DiNardo . S . Sher . Elizabeth . Heemskerk-Jongens . J . Kassis . JA . O'Farrell . PH . Two-tiered regulation of spatially patterned engrailed gene expression during Drosophila embryogenesis . Nature . 14 April 1988 . 332 . 6165 . 604–609 . 10.1038/332604a0 . 3282172 . 2753417 . 1988Natur.332..604D .

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