Alessandra_Pucci

Alessandra Pucci

Alessandra Pucci

Australian biochemist and entrepreneur

Alessandra Alberta Pucci AO EF FTSE (born June 1942) is an Australian immunologist and entrepreneur who founded and led Australian Monoclonal Development, the first biotechnology company in Australia.

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Early life and education

Pucci was born in Eritrea in June 1942, one of five children of her Italian parents, journalist father and homemaker mother.[1]: 108  She was educated at the University of Pisa and the University of Florence.[2]

When her husband was given an eight-month appointment in Australia, she accompanied him and they decided to settle permanently in Sydney.[1]: 108  She enrolled in a PhD at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professor Robert Clancy and graduated in 1981 with a thesis titled "Cellular aspects of mucosal immunology in man".[3]

Career

Pucci founded Australian Monoclonal Development Pty Ltd (AMD) in 1981, and served as chief executive. It was the first biotechnology company in Australia.[4] Listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange in 1986, as Monoclonal Australia Ltd, it was later sold to ICI Australia and merged with Silenus Laboratories.[5] She was then appointed Director of Business Development by the Garvan Institute[6] and later founded and served as chief executive in BioDiscovery Ltd, a company that invested in medical research in Australia. It was a joint venture by the Garvan Institute, the John Curtin School of Medical Research, the University of New South Wales and the CSIRO Division of Entomology.[1]: 110 

Pucci served on the New South Wales Science and Technology Council from 1983[7] to 1986[8] and was appointed to the national Chemicals and Plastics Industries Council in 1984.[9] Pucci then served on the Australian Science and Technology Council from 1987 to 1989.[2] She has also served as director of the Dairy Research and Development Corporation and of Bio-Q Pty Ltd.[4]

Pucci is now a science writer,[2] author of "The Scientist: A Short Essay and Two Stories" which was published in the US. She then went on to write "DEVOLUTION: The Young Self in the Face of Technology", independently published on Amazon in 2018.[10]

Honours and recognition

Pucci received The Bulletin/Qantas Businesswoman of the Year for 1986.[11] In 1987, Pucci was made Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, and in the same year an Eisenhower Fellow. In the 1988 Queen's Birthday Honours, Pucci was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for "service to the community, particularly in the field of biotechnology, and to industry".[12] She was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 1990.[13] In 2003, Pucci received the Australian Federation Centenary Medal.[14]

References

  1. [1]
    Bhathal, Ragbir (1999). Profiles, Australian Women Scientists. National Library of Australia. ISBN 978-0-642-10701-5.
  2. [2]
    "Alessandra Pucci, Author at Pearls and Irritations". Pearls and Irritations. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  3. [3]
    Pucci-Favino, Alessandra (1980). "Cellular aspects of mucosal immunology in man". University of Sydney thesis database. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Pucci, Alessandra Alberta". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  5. [5]
    Roberts, Peter (19 December 1994). "ICI'S HEALTHY NEW FORMULA". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  6. [6]
    "Leading researcher and businesswoman joins Garvan Institute". The Garvan News. Autumn 1993.
  7. [7]
    "N.S.W. Science and Technology Council". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 52. New South Wales, Australia. 25 March 1983. p. 1380. Retrieved 28 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. [8]
    "Science and Technology Council Act 1979". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 12. New South Wales, Australia. 17 January 1986. p. 210. Retrieved 28 November 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. [9]
    "Appointments to industry councils". Parliament of Australia. 27 March 1984. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  10. [10]
    Pucci, Alex (25 February 2018). Devolution: The Young Self in the Face of Technology. Independently Published. ISBN 978-1-9802-7744-6.
  11. [11]
    Bell, Glennys (19 November 1985), "Alessandra and her immortal toy soldiers: Cover story. The Bulletin/ Qantas Businesswoman of the Year is biotechnology pioneer Alessandra Pucci", Bulletin (Sydney) (19 Nov 1985): 70–71, 73–74, 76, ISSN 1440-7485
  12. [12]
    "Dr Alessandra Alberta Pucci". It's an Honour. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Pucci, Alessandra Alberta, (AO, FTSE) (1942–)", Trove, 2011, retrieved 28 November 2021
  14. [14]
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