Born: 16 November 1955, Australia
Died: NA
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA
This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Edwina Cornish is a biotechnologist who played a key role in establishing one of Australia’s first biotechnology companies, Florigene Limited. The company developed and commercialised some of the world’s first genetically modified plants. Between 1994 and 1998 she was successively Managing Director and Director of Research and Development at Florigene. At the University of Adelaide, where from 2000 to 2003 she was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Professor of Biotechnology, she was instrumental in improving translation of he University’s research She also played a key role in the establishment of Australian Grain Technologies, a market leader in wheat genetics and Australia’s largest plant breeding company. In 2004 Cornish became Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Monash University, engaged in strengthening the University’s research performance. She has extensive experience in facilitating collaboration between research organisations, industry, government and he higher education sector. Organisations in which she has been involved include the Australian Research Council, CSIRO, the Prime Minister’s Science and Engineering Council, and several Cooperative Research Centres.
Chronology
1994 – 1996
Career position – Member, Prime Minister’s Science and Engineering Council
1994 – 1998
Career position – Managing Director, Florigene
1994 – 1998
Career position – Member, Australian Biotechnology Association
1996 – 2000
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, International Society for Plant Molecular Biology
1997 – 2000
Career position – Member, Victorian Government Science and Engineering Technology Taskforce
1998 – 1999
Career position – Director of Research and Development, Florigene
2000
Award – Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
2000 – 2001
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, CRC for Tissue Growth and Repair
2000 – 2001
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, Australian Petroleum CRC
2000 – 2001
Career position – Member, South Australian Innovation, Science and Technology Council
2000 – 2002
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, Repromed Pty Ltd
2000 – 2003
Career position – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (research), University of Adelaide
2000 – 2003
Career position – Professor of Biotechnology, University of Adelaide
2000 – 2003
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, Forestry Tasmania
1 Jan 2001
Award – Centenary Medal – for service to Australian society in biotechnology and university administration
2001 – 2003
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, CRC for Molecular Plant Breeding
2001 – 2003
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, Adelaide Research and Innovation Pty Ltd., University of Adelaide
2001 – 2004
Career position – Member of the Board, Australian Research Council
2002 – 2003
Career position – Member, South Australian Premier’s Science and Research Council
2002 – 2008
Career position – Member, Board of trustees, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre
2004 – 2009
Career position – Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Monash University
2005 – 2006
Career position – Member, National e-Research Coordinating Committee
2006
Career position – Member, CSIRO Flagship Program Review Panel
2006 – 2007
Career position – Member, National Research Priorities Standing Committee
2007
Career position – Member, Board of Directors, Monash IVF Pty Ltd
2007 – 2009
Career position – Chair, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research/Pro Vice Chancellor Committee, Universities Australia
2007 – 2012
Career position – Member, Advisory Council on Intellectual Property, Australian Government
2009 – 2012
Career position – Member, National Research Infrastructure Council
2009 – 2012
Career position – Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Monash University
2012 – 2016
Career position – Provost and Senior Vice-President, Monash University
2013
Award – DSc (honoris causa), University of Melbourne
2014
Career event – Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) or distinguished service to higher education, to advances in biotechnology and horticultural genetic modification, and through fostering partnerships with government, industry and the community
2015 – 2020
Career position – Member of the Board, CSIRO
2016
Life event – Retired
2017
Award – Grimwade Medal for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne
2017 – 2021
Career position – Member of Council, La Trobe University