Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh and Professor Michael Kassiou have been elected as 2025 Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).
The Fellows have been chosen for their transformative and lifelong contributions to fields spanning materials sciences, drug discovery and more.
Engineering for good
Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh has been recognised for his research on two-dimensional semiconductors, ingestible sensors and liquid metals. He is based at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.
Professor Kalantar-Zadeh is an entrepreneur known for his significant contributions to innovations that span several industries, including transparent conductive glass used in mobile phones, smart electronic windows for aircraft, and globally deployed hazardous gas sensors.
He led his team to the development of the world's first ingestible (safe to eat/ drink) chemical sensors for medical diagnostics. The result was a human gas sensing capsule: a non-invasive ingestible chemical sensor to aid prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of gut disorders.
Professor Kalantar-Zadeh is also developing new technologies based on liquid metals that could make the chemical industry more sustainable. His team is testing a new technique that dissolves tin and nickel to speed up chemical reactions, which they hope can replace energy-intensive chemical engineering processes.
"It is an immense honour to be elected. This recognition by ATSE is recognition of the work of my past and current group members, who all have played an invaluable part in shaping the work we do," said Professor Kalantar-Zadeh.
Professor Kalantar-Zadeh's work extends beyond the lab with outreach, public engagement and mentorship. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Foreign Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
His achievements earned him the prestigious Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science in 2020 and a place in the 2019 LinkedIn Spotlight for Science and Engineering in Australia.
Innovation in drug discovery
Professor Michael Kassiou has been recognised for his groundbreaking contributions to drug discovery and research, tackling health conditions such as brain disorders and cardiovascular disease. His work combines his expertise in medicinal chemistry, disease biology and imaging techniques to pioneer innovative solutions for conditions that have long challenged the medical community.
His efforts to commercialise his research have resulted in the establishment of several start-up companies, most notably Prokardia and Kinoxis Therapeutics. He is Director of the Centre for Drug Discovery Innovation , academic lead for the New South Wales Organoid Innovation Centre - a multi-institution facility applying cutting-edge stem-cell techniques to accelerate drug discovery and design - and node leader of MedChem Australia , a national initiative aiming to bridge the gap between research and commercialisation. He is also a Professor in the School of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science.
Professor Kassiou has been a longstanding advocate for innovation in drug discovery. Through the AI Enhanced Drug Discovery (AIEDD) CRC , his vision is to fundamentally transform how therapies are developed and to revolutionise traditional drug discovery by harnessing AI-Quantum technologies and advanced omics data.
Professor Kassiou is committed to building sovereign capability and positioning Australia as a leader in the global drug discovery market in the AI-Quantum era.
"I am truly honoured to be elected as a Fellow of ATSE. This recognition is a reflection not only of my own efforts but the incredible support and collaboration of my colleagues, mentors, and team members. Their dedication and passion have been essential to advancing our shared goals," said Professor Kassiou.
In 2024, Professor Kassiou was a joint winner at the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Awards in the Research Commercialisation category for co-founding Kinoxis Therapeutics, a company that develops therapeutics for mental health conditions including substance use disorders.
Professor Kassiou has also received the 2023 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science and Innovation and the 2023 HG Smith Memorial Award.
"Our expert Fellows are world leaders - and are working on the game-changing tech and innovations that are helping to solve the most pressing and complex challenges"
Dr Katherine Woodthorpe ATSE President
ATSE President Dr Katherine Woodthorpe said the 2025 Fellows represent the breadth and depth of world-class Australian innovation:
"Our expert Fellows are world leaders - and are working on the game-changing tech and innovations that are helping to solve the most pressing and complex challenges," said Dr Woodthorpe.
"This year we're thrilled to welcome 35 new Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, drawn from a highly competitive field of nominees.
"The 2025 Fellows are a diverse group of people from across the country and from a range of sectors - experts in medical physics, sustainable engineering, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and more.
"Our new Fellows are behind truly game-changing innovations - from augmented reality to green hydrogen production to the batteries of the future.
"We can't wait to welcome this group of extraordinary Australians to the ATSE Fellowship."
The new Fellows will join the 2025 New Fellows Showcase in Adelaide in October .
View the full list of 2025 ATSE Fellows here .
