Australian of the Year named as biomedical scientist Alan Mackay-Sim

World-leading researcher honoured for a lifetime of work with stem cells and the regeneration of the nervous system

A biomolecular scientist whose groundbreaking research led to the first successful restoration of mobility in a quadriplegic man has been named 2017 Australian of the Year.

Emeritus Professor Alan Mackay-Sim led the world's first clinical trial using nasal cavity cells to treat spinal cord injuries. The findings from that trial led to world-first surgery on a paralysed man, Darek Fidyka, in 2014. Fidyka was able to walk again with the assistance of a frame after the procedure.