Katherine Belov

Professor Kathy Belov uses immunogenetics to study immunity and health in Australia’s native species. Her research overturned the paradigm that Australian mammals have primitive immune systems and demonstrated they have immune gene complements similar to our own. Using comparative genomics and conservation genetics approaches she has made significant contributions to our understanding of immunity in Tasmanian devil populations which are being decimated by Devil Facial Tumour Disease and koala populations that are under threat due to chlamydia. Her work has directly contributed to government actions and new policy and was integrated into the Save the Devil strategic plan and Wild Devil Recovery program and the NSW koala strategy.
The importance of Kathy’s research discoveries have been recognised by fellowship of the Australian Academy of Sciences (2022) and Royal Society of NSW (2019) and award of the Australian Academy of Sciences Fenner medal (2014), Crozier Medal by the Genetics Society of Australasia (2013) and the MJD White Medal from the Genetics Society of Australasia (2021). She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 2024. She has co-edited one book and published over 200 research papers.
Kathy is an active contributor to science leadership as evidenced by her roles on the NSW Koala Expert Advisory Group (2017-2023), scientific advisory boards at Taronga Zoo (2019-) and the Ramaciotti Centre (2020-2023). She is the co-chair of the International Advisory Committee of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (2019-) and trustee of the Australian Museum, where she chairs the Science Advisory Board. Kathy sits on the boards of SAGE and WIMR. Kathy was president of the Genetics Society of Australasia (2016-2017).