The Academy is delighted to announce Professor Jennifer Byrne from the University of Sydney and NSW Health Pathology as the 2025 recipient of the David Vaux Research Integrity Fellowship Award.
The funding award, launched in 2023, recognises individuals who have led efforts to foster and promote integrity in science. The award honours Professor David Vaux AO FAA FAHMS, who has championed scientific research integrity in Australia.
Professor Byrne has an international reputation for finding problematic research articles. She began this work accidentally after noticing strange patterns in published cancer papers. Since then, she has systematically addressed the problem of fake research by co-creating software to detect potentially faked papers; writing to journals requesting responses to papers with critical errors; mentoring students to research the issue; raising awareness of problematic research in the media; and regularly bringing together publishers and researchers to discuss the problems and potential solutions.
Her career has diverted from cancer research to research integrity. Professor Byrne heads the Publication and Research Integrity in Medical Research (PRIMeR) group at the University of Sydney.
“I’m delighted to have been chosen as the recipient of the 2025 David Vaux Fellowship. I thank my colleagues Professor Adrian Barnett and Pranujan Pathmendra for their nomination,” Professor Byrne said.
“This award recognises my team members in the PRIMeR group and would not have been possible without funding from the United States Office of Research Integrity, the NHMRC and the University of Sydney.
“I look forward to visiting different Australian research centres during 2025 and 2026 and engaging with students and researchers at all career stages.
“I hope to raise awareness of contemporary issues affecting scientific publications, including research paper mills and undeclared use of generative artificial intelligence. I also look forward to participating in key discussions of publication integrity at international conferences and bringing this knowledge back to Australian researchers and policymakers,” she said.
Professor Byrne plans to use the award funds to give presentations on research integrity at different centres across Australia, where she will meet with early career researchers to discuss their concerns about their careers and research integrity. She will also travel to international conferences to share her work with a broader audience.
Dates and locations of Professor Byrne’s public lectures in Australia will be published on the Academy website once confirmed.
The David Vaux Research Integrity Fellowship Award is a biennial award. Nominations for the next round will open in February 2026.
