2026 Alumni Awards Gala

Flinders’ night of nights, the annual Alumni Awards Gala, was held on Friday 28 August at the Adelaide Town Hall, bringing together more than 250 guests to recognise the outstanding achievements of 10 graduates and celebrate our 60th anniversary in style.

Marking the special occasion, President and Vide-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said, “More than 145,000 Flinders alumni have gone on to shape their fields since 1966 – in hospitals and research laboratories, in communities and boardrooms, in classrooms and other workplaces.”

“Wherever they have gone, they have taken that fearless spirit with them, bringing curiosity, creativity and a determination to make a difference.”

Taking out our highest honour, the Convocation Medal, for outstanding leadership in pioneering world-first allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy for autoimmune diseases was Professor Huji Xu (PhD(Med) '95). Professor Xu has developed a radical new treatment for autoimmune disease that shows it may be possible to “reset” a damaged immune system and achieve long-term remission.

You can read all about the other awardees and their inspiring stories here.