2005 Media Releases
September 02, 2005
New Professor of Chemistry
A world leader in the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Robert Brownlee, has been appointed Professor of Chemistry at La Trobe University.
A specialist in biological chemistry, Professor Brownlee joined La Trobe as a Research Fellow in 1970. At the time of his appointment as Professor, he was Reader/Associate Professor in Chemistry, and Head of La Trobe’s Department of Chemistry.As well as his leadership in the application of NMR spectroscopy, he has also achieved world recognition in the development of new NMR techniques and pulse sequences, especially as applied to medicinal problems.
His studies have included proton, carbon and fluorine magnetic nuclei as well as more unusual metals, including molybdenum.
Recently, he has focused on three-dimensional NMR methods and on determining the chemical structures of cyclic peptides and metalloproteins.
He has an extensive publication record with more than 125 research papers in the international literature and his research has been supported by numerous grants. Recent work concentrates on Medicinal Chemistry with an emphasis on the application of NMR methods to drug design, particularly in the antifungal, anti-AIDS and anticancer areas.
He heads a group which has access to state-of-the-art NMR equipment used to study important problems in chemistry. In this area he and his group are making a fundamental contribution to the worldwide search for new drug molecules.
Professor Brownlee has been a visiting scientist at the University of California, Irvine, the University of East Anglia, and the Victorian College of Pharmacy and he has hosted a number of high ranking sabbatical visitors to his group at La Trobe.
His expertise in structural analysis has been successfully attracted industry partnerships, which have provided research collaborations and supported departmental infra structure with substantial funding. Recently he was appointed as an “Assessor for Appointed Analysts” by the Victorian Environmental Protection Authority.
His far-reaching research contribution to medicinal chemistry has been widely recognised in a number of ways. These include selection as a Fellow of the Australian Chemical Institute and by peer-nominated awards, including the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Medicinal and Agricultural Division) Award, known as the Adrien Albert Lecturer Award.
Throughout his career, Professor Brownlee has been an effective and committed teacher of undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral associates. He has attracted a steady stream of Honours students and many of his postgraduate students have advanced to high level leadership positions in Australia and overseas.
Professor Brownlee participates regularly at national and international conferences and is a member of a number of scientific committees, societies and professional bodies.
He is Director and Treasurer of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Magnetic Resonance and was a founding member of the Melbourne NMR Group in 1996. He is an editor of the electronic journal ARKIVOC and has reviewed articles for leading international journals.
In addition he has been elected Chairman of the Medicinal and Agricultural Chemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and been both the Chair and member of many Conference Organising Committees.
At the University level he has chaired many committees including the Students Loan Fund, the Professional Promotion Committee, and the Academic Computing Committee.
For further information:
Please contact Professor Robert Brownlee Tel: 03 9479 2547 or La Trobe University Media and Publications Office Tel: 03 9479 2316.