Fenner's science today and tomorrow

The Academy’s 2011 public lecture series will serve as a tribute to the work of Frank Fenner and an opportunity to hear about the latest scientific advances in the research areas that he pioneered.

Frank Fenner's long and diverse career spanned many areas of science, beginning with malaria and tuberculosis research in the 1940s. He pioneered the development of a biological method to control rabbit populations, and played a pivotal role in the elimination of smallpox. His interest in epidemiology, population dynamics and passion for the environment, led him to founding and becoming Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University, now expanded into the Fenner School of Environment and Society.

All the fields that Frank Fenner worked in are still actively researched. The challenges of controlling disease and managing introduced pest animals, plants and organisms are increasing, and our population growth and consumption rates threaten the environment and the future of humans on the planet.