Alan Mackay-Sim
Alan Mackay-Sim | |
|---|---|
Mackay-Sim in 2017 | |
| Born | 16 May 1951 Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 4 January 2023 (aged 71) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater | Macquarie University |
| Awards | Australian of the Year (2017) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biomedical science |
| Institutions | Griffith University |
| Thesis | Odorous communication by stressed rats (1978) |
Alan Mackay-Sim AM (16 May 1951 – 4 January 2023) was an Australian biomedical scientist specialising in adult stem cell research, and winner of the 2017 Australian of the Year. Some of his research focused on olfactory ensheathing cells, which are cells in the human nose that interact with the nervous system to cause a sense of smell.
His research into stem cells contributed to the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The restoration of mobility to Darek Fidyka, a Polish paraplegic man, used research by Mackay-Sim.