Margaret Brimble
Dame Margaret Brimble | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Anne MacMillan August 20, 1961 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Chemist |
| Known for | Work on shellfish toxins and development of therapies for brain injuries |
Dame Margaret Anne Brimble (née MacMillan; born 20 August 1961) is a distinguished New Zealand chemist recognized for her work on shellfish toxins and the development of therapies for brain injuries.
Early life, family, and education
Brimble was born in Auckland to parents Mary Anne and Herbert MacMillan. Her grandmother played a significant role in fostering her appreciation for education. She attended Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland from 1972 to 1978, where she graduated as the top student.
She pursued chemistry at the University of Auckland, obtaining a BSc in 1982 followed by an MSc with first-class honours in 1983. Awarded a New Zealand Commonwealth scholarship, she completed her PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Southampton in 1985.
Career and research
Currently, Brimble occupies the Chair of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Auckland and functions as a Principal Investigator within the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery.
Awards and honours
Brimble is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Royal Society of Chemistry. She made history as the first New Zealander to receive the L'Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science and was the second woman to be honoured with the Rutherford Medal.
Her appointments within the New Zealand Order of Merit include Member in 2004 for her scientific contributions, promotion to Companion in 2012, and elevation to Dame Companion in 2019. Additionally, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2018.
In 2014, she was honoured with the Science and Innovation Award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards. The Royal Society Te Apārangi featured her in their 2017 "150 women in 150 words" project celebrating influential New Zealand women in academia. In 2023, she was awarded the Ernest Guenther Award in Chemistry of Natural Products.
| Year | Award | Awarding Organization | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Marsden Medal | New Zealand Association of Scientists | |
| 2012 | Rutherford Medal | Royal Society of New Zealand | for internationally leading achievements in synthesizing bioactive natural compounds and innovative peptides with wide-ranging applications across life sciences |
| Hector Medal | acknowledging exceptional organic chemistry research, particularly in natural product synthesis and novel synthetic techniques | ||
| MacDiarmid Medal | in recognition of groundbreaking design, synthesis, and clinical advancement of a small molecule drug candidate targeting traumatic brain injury | ||
| 2011 | Adrien Albert Award | Royal Australian Chemical Institute | |
| 2010 | Natural Product Chemistry Award | Royal Society of Chemistry | for remarkable contributions to natural product synthesis and related analogues |
| 2008 | World Class New Zealand Award | Kea and NZ Trade & Enterprise | in Research, Science, Technology & Academia |
| 2007 | Women in Science Asia-Pacific Laureate in Materials Science | L'Oreal-UNESCO | for significant work on complex natural product synthesis, notably shellfish toxins |
| 2005 | HortResearch Prize for Excellence in the Chemical Sciences | NZIC | |
| 2004 | James Cook Research Fellowship | Royal Society of New Zealand | |
| 2003-4 | UK Royal Society Rosalind Franklin International Lectureship | recognition as an accomplished female scientist on an international level | |
| Novartis Chemistry Lecture Award | for outstanding achievements in natural product synthesis and synthetic methodology innovation | ||
| 2001 | Federation of Asian Chemical Societies Distinguished Chemist Award | ||
| 1996 | Ian Potter Foundation Research Award | University of Sydney | |
| 1992 | Hamilton Memorial Prize | Royal Society of New Zealand | |
| Easterfield Medal | New Zealand Institute of Chemistry |
Personal life
She entered into marriage with Mark Timothy Brimble in 1981.