Patrick Tam is a biologist who has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of how mammals develop in the womb. His pioneering studies on mouse embryos have shed light on the origins of congenital malformations and revealed key properties of mammalian germ cells — the predecessors of eggs and sperm.

Internationally recognised for his experimental ability, Patrick has been able to study the early development of vital organs with extreme precision. His work on the precursors to the nervous and digestive systems, in particular, has helped him to determine the cellular and molecular processes that control lineage differentiation and embryonic patterning.

Patrick is a Fellow of the Society of Biology as well as the Australian Academy of Science, and is currently Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney. He serves on a number of scientific advisory boards, and in 2007 was awarded the President’s Medal of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Cell and Developmental Biology. Presently, he is the Mok Hing-Yiu Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong.