Part of the Academy's annual Honorific Awards, the Gottschalk Medal acknowledges researchers up to 10 years post-PhD for outstanding research in the biomedical sciences, in honour of the late Professor Alfred Gottschalk, whose work advanced our understanding of viral infection.
Associate Professor Cain is developing new genome-based technologies to combat deadly hospital bacteria, addressing one of the greatest threats to global health.
“Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to humankind. By 2050, we will see around 10 million deaths per year due to antibiotic resistance – more than all cancers combined,” Associate Professor Cain says.
Her research bridges a critical gap between identifying promising drug targets in bacteria and developing new antibiotics to combat them. Using functional genomics techniques, Associate Professor Cain studies ‘ESKAPEE pathogens’ – the seven bacterial species responsible for around half of all antibiotic resistance-related deaths.
Associate Professor Amy Cain, from Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the 2025 Gottschalk Medal.
“Bacteria can pass antibiotic resistance genes between each other, resulting in a global spread of resistance genes,” Associate Professor Cain says.
Associate Professor Cain established and now runs the Galleria research facility at Macquarie University, testing laboratory findings on wax moth larvae in a critical first step towards clinical trials.
Before joining Macquarie, Associate Professor Cain worked in Malawi, Sub-Saharan Africa, where she set up a research program tracking and analysing hospital-acquired infections for the Wellcome Trust and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
Distinguished Professor Ian Paulsen, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, says: “Amy’s research aligns perfectly with our centre’s mission to develop novel biological solutions for global challenges, and we’re immensely proud of her exceptional work.”
Macquarie University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Sakkie Pretorius says: “This wonderful award from the AAS confirms what we already knew – Associate Professor Cain is a brilliant researcher tackling one of the biggest health challenges we face. Her work is exactly the kind of research that makes Macquarie University stand out.”
Associate Professor Cain is one of 22 scientists recognised in the Academy's 2025 Honorific Awards.
“I'm absolutely floored to be awarded the Gottschalk Medal, which has also gone to many of my scientific idols,” she says. “I just humbly hope that I can also provide some big steps forward in my field of antibiotic discovery and drug development.”
