UQ appoints research and innovation leader

The University of Queensland has appointed Professor Mark Blows as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) following a competitive recruitment process.

Professor Blows has been acting DVCRI for the past 8 months and was Pro-Vice Chancellor Research for 5 years.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said Professor Blows was highly regarded in the research community both internationally and within Australia.

“As PVCR, Mark steered UQ’s nation-leading submissions in both the 2018 Excellence in Research Australia and Engagement and Impact Assessment rounds,” Professor Terry said.

“He has supported researchers in all disciplines through enterprise systems that assist them to manage their research programs, and support their career trajectories and he has put significant effort into ensuring that the University is well-positioned to work effectively and collaboratively with both government and industry.”

“Under Mark’s leadership, I am very confident the University will continue to deliver research that builds Australia’s capabilities in essential areas such as energy transformation, national security, health and medicine, advanced manufacturing and sustainability.”

Professor Blows received his PhD in Genetics from La Trobe University in 1994.

He held an NSERC International Fellowship at York University, Canada, and an ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship at James Cook University.

Professor Blows joined UQ in 1998, was awarded two further ARC Fellowships, before serving for 7 years as the Head of the School of Biological Sciences.

In 2011, he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

His major research interests are in statistical genetics, with a particular focus on how genetic variance evolves, the distribution of genetic variance in high-dimensional phenotypes, and how genetic variation limits evolutionary change.