Dr Graeme Melville

Graeme Melville

Contact :                                      

email:                                           gmel@tpg.com.au + g.melville@unsw.edu.au

Recent (2022) - Einstein Lecture and radio interview.

 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

     Bachelor of Science - Majoring in Physics and Mathematics (UNSW)

     Dip. Ed. (UNSW)

    Master of Science in astrophysics (Univ. of Wollongong - 1993)

    Certificate IV in Computing – Assessment and Workplace Training in IT (2002)

    PhD in Nuclear Physics (University of Western Sydney - 2003)

WORK RECORD

     2016 -              Visiting Research Fellow/Hon Associate Professor – Astrophysics (UNSW) and Nuclear Physics.

    2015 – 2016    PT Lecturer at Macquarie University Physics Department

    2011 - 2015     Senior High School Maths/Physics Teacher

     2009 – 2010    Department of Defence (Assistant Director in DSTO) - Science International  

                               Relations

     2001 - 2008    Nuclear Physics Researcher (UWS/St George Hospital)

     1997-2000      Senior Physics and Maths Teacher. Director of Physics. 

     1993-96:         Astrophysics Researcher - Univ. of Wollongong and lecturer at UWS.

     1983-93:         Science/Maths Teacher 

     1980-83:         Professional Tennis Player with ATP ranking.

Activities

• I have been a ‘Visiting Research Fellow’ , now Hon. Associate Professor (since July, 2021), at UNSW since 2016 and have taught PHYS1160 over 12 times as well as GENS4015. I have published a number of research papers in astrophysics and nuclear physics. Some of these are:

• Colour-colour and colour-magnitude diagrams for Hot Jupiters

G. Melville¹ , L. Kedziora-Chudczer¹ , J. Bailey¹

¹School of Physics, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

Abstract  https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1074

• A Bright Short Period M-M Eclipsing Binary from the KELT Survey: Magnetic Activity and the Mass-Radius Relationship for M Dwarfs.

Lubin, Jack B.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Zhou, George; Conroy, Kyle E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Collins, Karen; Stevens, Daniel J.; Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Stockdale, Christopher; Myers, Gordon; Colón, Knicole D.; Bento, Joao; Kehusmaa, Petri; Petrucci, Romina; Jofré, Emiliano; Quinn, Samuel N.; Lund, Michael B.; Kuhn, Rudolf B.; Siverd, Robert J.; Beatty, Thomas G.; Harlingten, Caisey; Pepper, Joshua; Gaudi, B. Scott; James, David; Jensen, Eric L. N.; Reichart, Daniel; Kedziora-Chudczer, Lucyna; Bailey, Jeremy; Melville, Graeme.

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 844, Issue 2, article id. 134, 12 pp. (08/2017).

• Feasibility study on medical isotope production using a compact neutron generator.

Leung KN¹, Leung JK², Melville G³

1 Nuclear Engineering Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Berkion Technology, Hercules, CA 94547, USA. Electronic address: knleung@lbl.gov.

2 Berkion Technology, Hercules, CA 94547, USA.

3 Department of Astrophysics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

• “Targeted α therapy for cancer: where we are today and where we are heading”.

  G. Melville

Future Oncology: November 2015 ,Vol. 11, No. 22, Pages 3065-3067 , DOI 10.2217/fon.15.189

(doi:10.2217/fon.15.189)

• “A theoretical model for the production of Ac-225 for cancer therapy by neutron capture transmutation of Ra-226”.

   G. Melville, P. Melville

Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Cancer Care Centre, Gray Street, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.

Applied Radiation and Isotopes 72 (2013) 152–157

• "Cyclotron and linac production of Ac-225".

          G. Melville^a and B J Allen^b, c

^aUniversity of Western Sydney, Penrith NSW, Australia

^bCentre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Hospital, Gray St, Kogarah NSW 2217, Australia
^cClinical School, University NSW, Australia

Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 67, Issue 4, April 2009, Pages 549-555

• "Production of Ac-225 for cancer therapy by photon-induced transmutation of Ra-226".
              G. Melville a, H. Meriarty b, P Metcalfe c, T. Knittel d and B.J. Allen a,e
  
  a Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St George Cancer Care Centre, Gray Street, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia
  b Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  c Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  d Department of Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  e Clinical School of Medicine, St George Hospital, UNSW, NSW, Australia
  Received 29 September 2006; revised 30 March 2007; accepted 31 March 2007. Available online 16 April 2007.

Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 65, Issue 9, September 2007, Pages 1014-1022

• "A theoretical model for the production of Ac-225 for cancer therapy by photon induced transmutation of Ra-226".

G. Melville, Sau Fan Liu and B.J. Allen

Centre for Experimental Radiation Oncology, St. George Cancer Care Centre, Gray St. Kogarah, NSW, Australia

Applied Radiation and Isotopes Volume 64, Issue 9, September 2006, Pages 979-988

• Attended and presented at numerous national and international conferences in nuclear physics and astrophysics. Just a few are:

    Links: - 5^Th Australian Exoplanet workshop 2015; 6^th Australian Exoplanet Workshop – 2016; 2015 Controlling Cancer; Dirac Lecture 2015; Exoplanet Workshop -2018; 8^th Space Forum & 19 Australian Space Research Conference – 2019; International Conference on Emerging Cell Therapies – 2012; European Week of Astronomy and Space Science – Prague 2017; Davos Exoplanet Conference – 2016; World Congress on Medical Physics – 2003; 15th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference – 2006. AIP Summer Meeting at UNSW - 2017.

• I am a fellow (from 2016) of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) and twice Past-Chairman for two 2-year periods – 2012 and 2015 and (NSWAIP) and a current committee member, for which I have been for over 15 years and run the NSWAIP website.
• Made a submission to the (AIP) working group that was making a submission to the Federal Government in relation to their consultation paper, University Research Commercialisation.
• Earlier this year, I was invited to join the National Committee for Space and Radio Science and the National Committee for Physics. However, did not proceed with this invitation.
• I was Past Editor-in-Chief (2008) - Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Insights as well as present Reviewer of the international nuclear journal ‘Applied Radiation and Isotopes’ (since 2008) and a Member of Elsevier Researcher Panel (since 2008).
• I have worked teaching Mathematics, Science and computers in High Schools;
• Worked as a nuclear physicist in a Cancer Research group at St George Hospital (received grants from NHMRC- unknown amount; US Department of Defence - $300000; Rockdale Rotary Club - $20000, Cancer Council – similar amount. Here I was the first person to artificially produce Ac-225 using photons used for treating metastatic cancer;
• Part of a planetary scientist group at the University of Wollongong where we acted as consultants for NASA in their planetary exploration program for which I received a commendation for planetary astronomy work involving the Magellan Venus Project in 1994.
•  PT Lecturer at Macquarie University Physics Department (2015-2016).
• I was one of the Assistant Directors at the Department of Defence – 2009 to 2010 (DSTO - Canberra).
• Represented UNSW in regular radio interviews in Sydney, Wollongong, Adelaide, Queensland and have appeared on Dr Karl’s radio show.
• Formed a political party called ‘Make Australia the Clever Country’ in 1997 on the platform of improving the profile of, and increasing funding for, science and medicine and ran as political candidate for the Federal senate (1998) along with Professor Phil Broadbridge who was Head of Mathematics at Wollongong University at the time. Managed to convince the Labour Party to increase ARC grant money by 20 million dollars if they were elected. When Prime Minister Howard heard this they also decided to increase funding by a similar amount. Scientific adviser to the Federal Labour Party in 1998.
• Recipient of the 2005 ‘Physics in Industry Day’ award. This was awarded for the best research in industry-based physics, which was most likely to benefit Australia. 
• Published a book in 2009.
• 2007 ‘Research Futures Forum’ prize. Best scientific presentation in 2007. 
• Ex-professional tennis player with a world ATP ranking.

CURRENT RESEARCH

ASTROPHYSICS

I am in the astrophysics division of the School of Physics at UNSW and am currently doing research on the atmospheres of Exoplanets and polarisation of stars. Our group is headed by Prof Jeremy Bailey, which is part of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology, of which I am a member. Our group has just been successful in a research proposal to continue work at the Anglo Australian Telescope. Our group is one of the world leaders in astronomical polarisation and we have built the most sensitive polarimeter in the world.

NUCLEAR PHYSICS 

New approaches in the treatment of cancer are necessary to overcome the limited therapeutic efficacy and high costs of currently available therapeutics. Conventional therapies often have negative side effects such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, general malaise and depression. This seriously affects the patient's overall health and quality of life. Moreover, the disease will most likely recur in time due to the survival and spreading of cancerous cells, or micro-metastases, from the original tumour to other areas in the body. Targeted Radionuclide Therapy is a new kind of cancer treatment. It combines new developments in molecular biology and in radionuclides for medical applications. Alpha-emitting radionuclides seem particularly promising to destroy cancer cells.

Probably, the most promising radionuclide is Ac-225 which decays to Bi-213. Bi-213 emits high energy but short range alpha particles making it very useful in ‘Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) for cancer’.

Alpha particle emitters are the most potent sources for lethal irradiation of single tumour cells and micro-metastases because of their short range and densely ionising radiation.

I am part of a research group with ANSTO whose aim is to produce Ac-225 in Australia for Targeted Alpha Therapy (TAT) for cancer. This will not only eliminate a type of nuclear waste but potentially save thousands of lives.

Association at UNSW

• Besides teaching and research, I have played an active part in Science Week having brought a number of people to UNSW for AIP events over the past 5 years (Centre for Ideas UNSW – have helped managed this) for which I have done the Introductions. Past AIP Einstein Lectures include notable speakers such as Michelle Simmons and Lawrence Krauss (world renowned theoretical astrophysicist) where audiences have exceeded 700. Last year the Einstein Lecture featuring Professor Katrin Meissner (UNSW), Prof Chris Tinney (UNSW) and Prof Martin van Kranendonk (UNSW) had an online audience of over 1000. The 2021 Science Week at UNSW includes another Einstein Lecture on 17 August, where I will be doing the Introductions followed by Prof Sarah Brough (UNSW), Prof Iver Cairns (USyd) and A/Prof Susanna Guatelli (U of Woll.). The topic ‘Space Weather and the Path to Mars’.
• Managed AIP associations with UNSW for over 12 years in regard to Dirac Lecture, student Honours prizes, Bragg Medal as well as a liaison person and multiple presentations in ‘Physics in the Pub’. This year (15 October 7 pm) I will be again representing UNSW in ‘Physics in the Pub’.
• Active member of a number of groups in Physics such as Astro Journal Club and Astro Coffee Club.
• Represented UNSW and NSWAIP in ‘Outreach’ work at a number of High Schools including the AIP Women in Physics program for which I have been the NSW convenor for over 10 years. This program involves a prominent women physics researcher visiting a number of High Schools and institutions around Australia.

Dr Graeme Melville     B.Sc, M.Sc. Dip.Ed., PhD., CertIV (IT), F.A.I.P.