Gwen Woodroofe

Dr Gwen Woodroofe was a pioneering virologist and Research Fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, part of the ANU College of Science and Medicine. She contributed significantly to myxomatosis research with Professor Frank Fenner from 1951–1966, a groundbreaking effort to control rabbit populations. After earning her PhD at ANU, she retired as a Fellow but continued advocating for young researchers through scholarship endowments. Her legacy includes the Gwendolyn Woodroofe Postgraduate Scholarship in Sciences and the Kathleen Woodroofe Postgraduate Scholarship in Humanities/Social Sciences.

• Education:
  • BSc (Hons) in Botany, University of Adelaide (1940)
  • MSc, University of Adelaide
  • PhD, Australian National University

Her research focused on virology and myxomatosis, with later efforts dedicated to educational philanthropy. Post-retirement, she managed UNICEF’s Christmas card program and was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia (1997).

Her scholarships, established with matched University funding, support PhD students in sciences and humanities, reflecting her commitment to nurturing future researchers.