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Justin M. Chalker

Matthew Flinders Professor of Chemistry, Flinders University

Professor Justin M. Chalker earned a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in the History and Philosophy of Science at The University of Pittsburgh in 2006. At Pittsburgh, he contributed to the total synthesis of several natural products under the direction of Theodore Cohen. Supported by a Rhodes Scholarship and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Justin then completed his D.Phil. thesis at the University of Oxford under the supervision of Benjamin Davis where he developed several tools for the site-selective modification of proteins, many of which are now commercialised. In 2012, Justin started his independent career as an assistant professor at The University of Tulsa where he established a diverse research program in organic chemistry, biochemistry and material science. In 2015, Justin moved to Flinders University as a Lecturer in Synthetic Chemistry and recipient of an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. In 2017, Justin was promoted to Senior Lecturer and then to Associate Professor in 2019 and full Professor in 2021. Justin has earned >$9M AUD in competitive funding for his scholarly activities and he has been recognised with several awards for his efforts in teaching and research. These include the South Australian Tall Poppy of the Year (2016), the SA Science Excellence Awards STEM Educator of the Year (2018), and the AMP Tomorrow Maker Award (2018). In 2020, Justin was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators, one of the top science prizes in Australia. Justin is currently an ARC Future Fellow and holds the Matthew Flinders Professor of Chemistry position at Flinders University.

Experience

  • 2015–present
    Professor, Flinders University

Education

  • 2011 
    University of Oxford, D.Phil. (Organic Chemistry)
  • 2006 
    The University of Pittsburgh, B.S. (Chemistry)
  • 2006 
    The University of Pittsburgh, B.A. (History and Philosophy of Science)

Honours

Rhodes Scholar, ARC DECRA and Future Fellow, Prime Minister's Prize for New Innovators