The ASCEPT Fellowship is the highest honour our Society can bestow. It recognises distinguished service to ASCEPT alongside outstanding contributions to the advancement of pharmacology and toxicology. We are proud to celebrate four exceptional ASCEPT members whose leadership, scholarship, mentorship, and service have left a lasting impact on our discipline, our Society, and the broader community.
We are excited to celebrate the most recently awarded Fellows of ASCEPT, Professor Sarah Hilmer, Professor Carl Kirkpatrick, Professor Andrew McLachlan, and Professor Peter Molenaar, announced at the 2025 ASCEPT-Hypertension Australia Joint Meeting in Adelaide. Read on to learn more about their achievements and contributions.
Professor Sarah Hilmer Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Royal North Shore Hospital and Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology at the University of Sydney.
Professor Sarah Hilmer (MBBS(Hons), PhD, FRACP) is Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Royal North Shore Hospital and Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology at The University of Sydney. She leads an internationally recognised program of translational, interdisciplinary research in geriatric pharmacology, with a particular focus on improving the safe and effective use of medicines in older people.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Professor Hilmer was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service to clinical and geriatric pharmacology and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Scientists.
Professor Hilmer has provided sustained leadership in Clinical Pharmacology through service on numerous state and national committees, including the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC), and the New South Wales Therapeutic Advisory Group (NSW TAG).
A committed member of the ASCEPT for over 22 years, Professor Hilmer has made an exceptional contribution to the Society’s activities and strategic priorities. She served for 10 years as lead for the Australian and New Zealand Prescribing Skills Assessment (ANZ‑PSA) and has contributed extensively to both the Clinical Pharmacology Special Interest Group and the Education Forum. She was ASCEPT Lecturer in 2020, has presented at and coordinated multiple workshops and symposia at our Annual Scientific Meetings, and has acted as chair and judge on numerous occasions.
Internationally, Professor Hilmer chairs both the Geriatric Pharmacology Committee and the Clinical and Translational Section of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR).
Professor Hilmer’s election as an ASCEPT Fellow in 2025 recognises her sustained excellence in research, clinical leadership, education, and service to the discipline of pharmacology, as well as her longstanding and impactful contribution to ASCEPT.
Prof Carl Kirkpatrick, Monash University
Professor Carl Kirkpatrick is an internationally respected pharmacometrician and pharmacy academic, and Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. He is Director of the Monash–Moderna Quantitative Pharmacology Accelerator, where he leads quantitative and translational approaches to optimising therapy and improving patient outcomes. His research focuses on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modelling across pre‑clinical and clinical drug development, with applications spanning anti‑infective therapy, pharmacogenomics, quality use of medicines, and clinical decision‑making.
Professor Kirkpatrick has made an exceptional and sustained contribution to the ASCEPT for more than a decade. After joining the ASCEPT Council (now Board) in 2010, he has held numerous senior leadership roles, including President from 2018 to 2019 and Secretary from 2020 to 2024. Through these roles, he has been instrumental in strengthening the Society’s governance, achieving financial stability, coordinating high‑quality scientific meetings, and championing equity, diversity and inclusivity.
He has played a central role in convening major scientific meetings, including chairing the ASCEPT Annual Scientific Meeting from 2010 to 2012, contributing to meetings across Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and leading the successful bid for Melbourne to host the 2026 World Congress of Pharmacology of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR), for which he currently serves as Chair of the Organising Committee. He has also provided national leadership through service on the Pharmaceutical Sub‑Committee of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, including as Chair of its Pharmacometric Working Group.
Professor Kirkpatrick has been a Chief Investigator on multiple National Health and Medical Research Council grants and supervised more than 22 PhD students. He has made major contributions to education as Director of the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety and Director of Pharmacy Education at Monash University, and in 2024 received an Australian Award for University Teaching. Notably, he was instrumental in establishing the ASCEPT Fellowship program. His election as an ASCEPT Fellow recognises his outstanding leadership, research excellence, educational impact, and profound service to the Society.
Prof Andrew McLachlan, The University of Sydney
Professor Andrew McLachlan (BPharm(Hons I Medal), PhD, FPS, FACP, MCPA, MSHPA) is Head of School and Dean of Pharmacy at the Sydney Pharmacy School and a Member of the Order of Australia. He is a distinguished pharmacist and clinical pharmacology researcher whose career has focused on advancing the quality use of medicines and translating pharmacological research into improved patient care.
Professor McLachlan’s research has made a major contribution to understanding variability in medicines response, particularly in vulnerable populations including older people, children and the critically ill. His work bridges clinical pharmacology, high‑quality clinical trial evidence and real‑world practice. He has provided national leadership as Program Director of the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Medicines and Ageing, leading influential research into medication use and safety in older Australians.
He has played an important role in health policy and clinical governance, including serving as the inaugural Chair of the National Medicines Policy Committee, advising the Therapeutic Goods Administration, and chairing hospital research ethics and drug and therapeutics committees.
Professor McLachlan has been a long‑standing contributor to ASCEPT through Annual Scientific Meetings, mentorship and active participation in the Clinical Pharmacology Special Interest Group, and was awarded the ASCEPT Lecturer in 2018. His election as an ASCEPT Fellow recognises his sustained excellence in research, leadership and mentorship, and his significant contribution to ASCEPT and to clinical pharmacology in Australia.
Prof Peter Molenaar, The University of Queensland
Professor Peter Molenaar leads the In vitro Human Heart Laboratory at The University of Queensland, a role he has held since 1998, and is Co‑Head of the Cardiovascular Molecular and Therapeutics Translational Research Group. He is a distinguished cardiovascular pharmacologist whose career spans decades of impactful research, education, and professional leadership. His work has focused on advancing understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms underlying cardiac disease and improving cardiovascular pharmacotherapy. He has supervised numerous postgraduate students, contributed extensively to teaching, and served on ethics, research, and editorial boards of leading pharmacology journals.
Professor Molenaar has made outstanding contributions to ASCEPT through sustained service and leadership. He served as Secretary from 2009 to 2012 and subsequently as President‑Elect, President, and Past President between 2013 and 2016, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the Society’s governance. Notably, he led reforms to the ASCEPT Constitution that embedded principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and modernised governance frameworks. In recognition of these contributions, he was awarded the ASCEPT Achievement Award in 2015.
He continues to support the Society as a member of the Cardiovascular Special Interest Group, providing mentorship and strategic guidance. Professor Molenaar’s election as an ASCEPT Fellow recognises his enduring excellence in cardiovascular pharmacology, education, and leadership, and his profound and lasting contribution to ASCEPT and the discipline more broadly.
