Penelope J. Brothers

Brothers completed a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at the University of Auckland, in 1978 and then 1979. Later that year, she traveled to Stanford University after receiving a Fulbright Program fellowship. There, she studied under James P. Collman and completed a 1985 PhD titled 'The organometallic chemistry of ruthenium and osmium porphyrin complexes.' The next year, Brothers returned to the University of Auckland as a postdoctoral researcher, rising to full professor in 2009. During her early career, she played a large role in establishing her field of porphyrin chemistry; as of 2018, she is the only researcher who has studied the role of boron in porphyrins or corroles.

In 2007, Brothers was named as a Fulbright Senior Scholar. She is also on the editorial board of the journal Chemical Communications as associate editor.

Professor Brothers left the University of Auckland to join Australian National University in 2019, where she is currently Director of the Research School of Chemistry.