Person
Mendelsohn, Frederick Oscar Arthur (Fred) (1942 - 2026)
AO FRACP
- Born
- 19 June 1942
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 19 September 2026
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Neuroscientist and Research administrator
Summary
Fred Mendelsohn was a neuroscientist Internationally renowned for his work on understanding the brain. His research focused on the chemistry of neural communication, especially neuropeptides and their receptors. With his team he pioneered the concept that angiotensin acts at the local tissue level, with implications for pathophysiology of hypertension, heart failure and renal disease. Mendelsohn was a leader in neuroscience research in Australia, being the R Douglas Wright Professor of Experimental Physiology and Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Director of the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine. He served as President of the Australian Neuroscience Society from 2002 to 2003. Mendelsohn was also a prominent member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and Vice-President of the Medical Association or the Prevention of War (Victoria).2.
Details
"Professor Mendelsohn pioneered the concept that angiotensin acts at the local tissue level by direct analysis of peptide levels, by defining the anatomical locations of the relevant enzymes and receptors and by subsequent physiological studies. The modern investigation of the brain angiotensin system started with Mendelsohn's seminal mapping of brain AT1 and AT2 receptors that directed much subsequent experimental elucidation of angiotensin's central functions. These discoveries underlie contemporary concepts of the pathophysiology of hypertension, heart failure and renal disease and underpin their current treatment by ACE inhibitors and angiotensin antagonists. His group's recent cloning of the AT4 receptor opens up a new field regarding regulation of learning and memory." [from https://science.org.au/about-us/academy-fellows/discover-our-fellows/fred-mendelsohn 2026-10-08]
Chronology
- 1965
- Education - MB BS, University of Melbourne
- 1966 - 1968
- Career position - Resident Medical Officer, Royal Melbourne Hospital
- 1969 - 1971
- Award - National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship
- 1971
- Career position - Honorary Physician, Austin Hospital and Royal Women's Hospital
- 1972
- Education - MD, University of Melbourne
- 1972 - 1973
- Career position - Nuffield Foundation Travelling Medical Fellow, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London
- 1973
- Education - PhD, University of Melbourne
- 1973 - 1975
- Career position - National Heart Foundation Australia Overseas Medical Research Fellow, Physiologische Institute, University of .Munich, Germany
- 1975
- Education - Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- 1977 - 1996
- Career position - Senior Physician, Austin Hospital
- 1981 - 1990
- Career position - Reader in Medicine, University of Melbourne
- 1982 - 1983
- Career position - Visiting Scientist, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A.
- 1985
- Award - Selwyn Smith Prize for Medical Research, University of Melbourne
- 1990 - 1996
- Career position - Personal Chair in Medicine, University of Melbourne
- 1997 - 2008
- Career position - Director, Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine
- 1997 - 2009
- Career position - R Douglas Wright Professor of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne
- 1998
- Career position - Chairman, Angiotensin Gordon Research Conference, Ventura, California, U.S.A.
- 1998 - 2000
- Career position - Member, Wills Committee on Health and Medical Research Strategic Review
- 2001
- Award - Eccles Lecturer, Australian Neuroscience Society
- 2002 - 2003
- Career position - President, Australian Neuroscience Society
- 2003 - 2026
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
- 2004
- Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to medicine, particularly in the fields of neuroscience and biomedical research as a leading researcher, administrator and practitioner
- 2005
- Award - Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Medal, Melbourne
- 2007 -
- Career position - Vice-President, Medical Association or the Prevention of War (Victoria)
- 2009 -
- Career position - Member of the Board, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
- 2012 -
- Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Melbourne
- 2015
- Award - Distinguished Achievement Award, Australasian Neuroscience Society
Related entries
Parent
Published resources
Newspaper Articles
- Mendelsohn, Natalie, 'Mendelsohn, Fred AO', The Age (2026), 40, https://tributes.theage.com.au/au/obituaries/theage-au/name/fred-mendelsohn-obituary?id=62605705. Details
Resource Sections
- Ruff, Tilman, 'Fred Mendelsohn 1942 - 2026', in ICAN Australia, ICAN Australia, 2026, https://icanw.org.au/fred-mendelsohn/. Details
See also
- Who's who in Australia 2012 (Melbourne: Crown Content Pty Ltd, 2012), 2430 pp. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 8 October 2026