Australian of the Year 2017 is Alan Mackay-Sim: Scientist whose stem cell research is helping to repair damaged spinal cords wins national award Biomedical scientist Alan Mackay-Sim, whose research has been hailed ‘more impressive than man walking on the moon’, has been named the 2017 Australian of the Year. The Queensland-based professor has dedicated his life to pioneering stem cell research and its use in repairing damaged spinal cords, including helping to restore mobility in a quadriplegic man.