The Australian Society for Biophysics (ASB) has awarded MACSYS Chief Investigator Adelle Coster its top honour – the Bob Robertson Medal.

The medal recognises outstanding contributions and service to the field of biophysics in Australia and New Zealand. For Adelle, the honour carries deep personal significance.

“My father, Hans Coster, was the inaugural recipient of this award in 2002,” she shared. “So, I’m especially honoured to receive it just over two decades later.”

Adelle’s connection to the ASB spans decades. She first attended the ASB Conference as an honour’s student in the early 1990’s. Since then, she’s held several leadership roles: Treasurer from 2003-2013, Vice-President from 2014-2015, and President from 2016-2018.

“It’s been a pleasure to be of service to a community that means so much to me,” she reflected, “and to facilitate connections between researchers at all career stages.”

Adelle’s dedication to the Society stems from her deep appreciation for its role in legitimising biophysics as a discipline.  It wasn’t all that long ago that many institutions and societies didn’t even recognise biophysics as a distinct field.

“The Australian Society for Biophysics came about in 1975 because there was no natural home for people doing biophysical research,” Adelle explained.  “Biophysics is so interdisciplinary, so the society was formed to bring a diverse cohort of mathematicians, biologists, and chemists together.”

Adelle is a professor of applied mathematics at UNSW in Sydney.  She also is the co-lead of the Empowering Research theme for MACSYS.  Adelle says she sees a parallel between the Society’s founding and the mission of MACSYS.

“MACSYS is very much bridging a divide between multiple disciplines to create something greater than the sum of its parts,” says Adelle.

As part of receiving the Bob Robertson award, Adelle will deliver the opening address at the ASB Conference in late November being held this year on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Congratulations, Adelle!

Feature image:  (L-R) Hans Coster, Adelle Coster, Frances Separovic (2009 Medal Winner) at this year’s Australian Society of Biophysics Conference on the Gold Coast