Prof. Alison Rodger
Prof Alison Rodger
Director, Research School of Chemistry
email alison.rodger@anu.edu.au
link ANU Researcher Portal profile

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About

Alison Rodger joined the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University in 2024. She had moved to Macquarie University in 2017 after over 20 years at the University of Warwick. Her research focuses on developing and applying spectroscopic techniques to understand the structure and function of biomacromolecules and their assemblies. Alison received her BSc, PhD and DSc from Sydney University, her MA from Oxford, a DSc from Warwick, and her BA from Chester. She was a Beatrice Dale Fellow at Newnham College Cambridge for three years from 1985 while also an Overseas Scholar of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. Alison then spent six years in Oxford as Unilever Fellow at St Catherine's College and Violette and Samuel Glasstone Fellow at St Hilda’s. At the University of Warwick Alison was the founding director of the Molecular Organisation and Assembly in Cells Doctoral Training Centre funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and also the head of the Department of Chemistry. She is passionate about supporting early career researchers, especially those working across disciplines. Alison enjoyed every minute of her 4 years on the Royal Society of Chemistry Council and values being an Emeritus Professor of the University of Warwick. For more information see RP+ profile

Affiliations

Research interests

Alison Rodger's expertise spans Biophysical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, aspects of Theoretical Chemistry, Analytical Science, Biophysics, Biomacromolecular structure and their application in areas such as biochemistry, synthetic biology, and materials science particularly to solution phase biomacromolecule structure and function. Particular areas of interest are:

  1. Development of experiment and quantum electrodynamic theory of spectroscopic techniques, particularly linear and circular dichroisms, polarised luminescence and Raman methods, for the study of biomacromolecules.
  2. Structure, function and intermolecular interactions of protein systems, including fibrous and membrane proteins.
  3. Structure and function of DNA, DNA/ligand and DNA/protein systems.
  4. Optical characteristics of materials.

Awards

Alison has been recognised by her scientific community with her election to Fellowships of the Australian Academy of Science (2021) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (2000) and as an Honorary Member of British Biophysical Society (2019). She was nominated as a member of The Analytical Science Power List 2015: top 100 most influential people in the world of analytical science. She received a Science Teachers of NSW Dedicated Service Award (2019) and is a member of Barker College Council. Recently she has contributed to the wider community with her involvement as a Consultant to the European Science Foundation CASPER (Certification-Award System to Promote gender Equality in Research) project, as an Evaluator in Phase I for Chemical science for the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), as a SAGE Panel Member (2019), and as an Australian Research Council Engagement and Impact Assessment– Science and Technology Panel Member.

Location

Research School of Chemistry, Building 137, Room 1.55

Publications