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BAMOS February 2026
Meet our 2026 AMOS Fellows
Article
Professor Nerilie Abram
Professor Nerilie Abram is an internationally recognised climate and Antarctic scientist whose research has reshaped understanding of tropical variability and Antarctic change. She is Chief Scientist of the Australian Antarctic Program and an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University.
Professor Abram’ s work uses coral and ice-core records to reconstruct past climate, providing long-term context for modern changes. Her pioneering reconstructions of the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode revealed dramatic shifts in Southern Hemisphere variability, with direct implications for drought, wildfire risk and Antarctic environmental change.
She has led large interdisciplinary syntheses— including work on the onset of industrial-era warming and on abrupt Antarctic changes— and has played senior roles in IPCC assessments( including Coordinating Lead Author duties). Her research appears in high-impact journals( Science, Nature family journals) and is widely cited in international assessments. Elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2024, Professor Abram is also noted for extensive science-policy engagement and for translating evidence into decision-making for government and international fora. Her combination of disciplinary excellence, leadership and public engagement exemplifies the standards of an AMOS Fellow.
Dr Michael( Mike) Coughlan
Dr Mike Coughlan is a highly distinguished Australian meteorologist whose career spans more than four decades of leadership in operational meteorology, climate science and international coordination. Now retired, he made foundational contributions to Australian and global climate programs through senior roles at the Bureau of Meteorology, the World Meteorological Organization( WMO), NOAA and the international CLIVAR program.
Dr Coughlan holds an MSc in Meteorology from the University of Reading and a PhD in Meteorology and Applied Mathematics from Monash University. His career began in operational forecasting before expanding into national and international leadership roles. He played a central role in establishing Australia’ s early seasonal climate outlook capability and in strengthening climate monitoring and analysis at the Bureau of Meteorology.
Internationally, he served as Director of the International CLIVAR Project Office and later as Director of the World Climate Programme at WMO, helping to coordinate major global climate research, observing and services initiatives. Throughout his career, Dr Coughlan contributed extensively to capacity building, program design and international collaboration underpinning modern climate science and services. He has also been a long-standing supporter of AMOS and its predecessor societies, serving in leadership and committee roles and contributing generously to conferences and community activities. Dr Coughlan’ s sustained impact on meteorology and climate science, nationally and internationally, exemplifies the highest standards of service recognised by AMOS Fellowship.