Wake, Robert Gerard Milton (Gerry) (1933 - 2020)

Summary

Gerry Wake was a biochemist who undertook pioneering research in bacterial cell division. His major contributions included fundamental discoveries concerning the mechanism of bacterial chromosome replication, and in understanding multi-forked chromosomes. He published the definitive work of bidirectionality of DNA replication. Wake joined the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Sydney in 1961, and became Professor of Biochemistry in 1977. Elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1985, Wake was active in Academy affairs, including serving as Vice-President. He was similarly active in the Australian Biochemical Society, of which he was President from 1984 to 1986.

Details

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Chronology

1956

Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Sydney

1958

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Sydney

1958 - 1959

Career position - National Institutes of Health Project Associate, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, U.S.A.

1959 - 1961

Career position - US Public Health Service Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, U.S.A.

1961

Career position - Research Assistant, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford

1961 - 1963

Career position - Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney

1964 - 1970

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney

1969

Career position - Senior Fulbright Research Scholar, Stanford University, Stanford, California, U.S.A.

1970 - 1976

Career position - Reader, Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney

1977 -

Career position - Professor of Biochemistry, University of Sydney

1979 - 1982

Career position - Member, Australian Research Grants Committee

1981

Award - Lemberg Medal and Oration, Australian Biochemical Society

1984 - 1986

Career position - President, Australian Biochemistry Society

1985 - 2020

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1990 - 1993

Career position - Vice-President, Australian Academy of Science

1990 - 1993

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Science

1991 - 1993

Career position - Chairman, Vice-President's Committee, Australian Academy of Science

1992 - 1995

Career position - Chairman, Scientific Programme Committee, 7th Congress of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Anon, 'Professor Robert Gerard "Gerry" Wake FAA, 8 August 1933 to 26 January 2020', Australian Academy of Science newsletter, 135 (2020), 20. https://www.science.org.au/academy-newsletter/february-2020-135. Details
• Christopherson, Richard: with assistance from Hill, Ron; Weiss, Tony; and Kuchel, Philip, 'In memoriam: Robert Gerard (Gerry) Wake FAA 1933 - 2020', Australian biochemist, 151 (1) (2020), 45-7. Details
• Wake, Gerry, 'Reflections - molecular biology and biochemistry', Australian biochemist, 31 (1) (2000), 19-21. Details

Resources

• 'Wake, Robert Gerard Milton (1933-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1475045. Details