Good evening, colleagues, Fellows and distinguished guests.

I begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather tonight. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people joining us.

I warmly welcome Senator the Honourable Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation; the Honourable Ryan Park, NSW Minister for Health; and Dr Mike Freelander MP, who like me is a paediatrician, that most blessed form of medical practitioner! Thank you for joining us.

Tonight, we celebrate our newest Fellows, whose achievements have advanced knowledge, shaped healthcare and improved lives.

I’d like to invite all new Fellows present with us here tonight to please stand where they are.

On behalf of the Academy, warmest congratulations and welcome. We look forward to the expertise, ideas and leadership you will bring to our work.

Please take your seats.

This is my final Gala Dinner address as President. It is an opportunity to reflect, but also to look ahead, because the Academy’s purpose, has always been to put our collective expertise in service of a better future.

Health and medical science is a core component of Australia’s research and development system, and a powerful engine of its renewal.

Our discoveries have driven and continue to drive clinical and public health innovation, biotechnology, medical technologies and advanced manufacturing.

They have created, and continue to create skilled jobs, attract investment, and build sovereign capability.

The connections between our laboratories, our health systems and industry, turn Australian ideas into treatments, products and industries with global reach.

As the federal government considers the Strategic Examination of Research and Development, health and medical science must be central to that national ambition. Investing in this sector builds a healthier population, a more productive economy and a country better equipped to shape its own future.

To realise that ambition, we must look beyond the immediate, anticipate what is coming and act early enough to make a difference.

That brings me to the theme of this year’s annual meeting: horizon scanning.

Almost one year ago to the day, I stood at the Academy’s Gala Dinner and said that it is not enough for Australia to look towards the horizon. We must look over it.

That task has only become more urgent.

Scientific advances are moving rapidly. Artificial intelligence is changing how we generate knowledge and deliver care. Gene and cell therapies are opening extraordinary possibilities. Antimicrobial resistance, climate change and emerging infections are reshaping the challenges we face.

The decisions we make today will determine whether Australia is ready to respond and whether Australians share in the benefits.

We need a systematic way to identify emerging developments, assess their significance and act while there is still time to make a difference.

The National Health and Medical Research Strategy, published earlier this year, provides the opportunity to build that capability.

But horizon scanning must drive real decisions about research, investment, about workforce development, infrastructure, regulation and about the organisation of care.

If we identify a promising therapy, we must ask what Australia needs to develop, manufacture and deliver it. If we detect an emerging threat, we must ask which capabilities need strengthening, who must act, and when.

The connection between foresight and decision-making is fundamental. Without it, even excellent analysis can become another report on a shelf.

I personally believe that the Academy is best placed to lead this work in partnership with government.

Our Fellowship spans discovery science, clinical care, public health, health systems and industry. We can bring disciplines together, interpret early signals, test assumptions and distinguish developments of lasting significance from those attracting passing attention.

Our independence allows us to take a long view.

Our networks connect Australian expertise with developments internationally.

And our convening power allows us to bring that expertise together with policymakers, industry and communities.

It’s why we’ll be proposing that government partner with the Academy to design and deliver a national horizon scanning mechanism. One that is rigorous, connected across sectors, and importantly – directly linked to the decisions it must inform.

The Academy of Health and Medical Sciences stands ready to lead that effort.

For me, this is precisely what a learned academy should do, bring the nation’s best minds together to help Australia prepare for what comes next.

And that same sense of purpose runs through the achievements I am most proud of from my three years as President.

One is our work on diversity, equity and inclusion.

In 2024, Khaled Chakli, then our Interim CEO, in collaboration with Council Member Helena Teede, initiated the Academy’s work on the sector’s first Decadal Plan for Women in the Health and Medical Sciences. Last year, Assistant Minister Rebecca White launched it at this dinner, with Minister Mark Butler also joining us.

This year, through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the Commonwealth committed $1.7 million to expand our Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program nationally, advancing one of the Plan’s recommendations.

Building on the pioneering work of Franklin Women in New South Wales, we can now support more women to progress into leadership, while strengthening inclusive leadership across the sector.

Minister Ayres, thank you for that investment.

I am equally proud of the Academy’s growing engagement with government.

In 2024, we also took a fresh look at our positioning and how our expertise can make the greatest contribution. We have made a deliberate investment in our Canberra presence, our relationships and our capacity to provide timely advice.

That investment is bearing fruit in stronger engagement and greater opportunities to shape policy.

Our sector-leading work on trust is another example. We have brought people together around a question fundamental to our future – ‘how do we sustain public confidence in health and medical science’?

Our responsibility is to listen carefully, to communicate openly and to demonstrate, through our work, why that confidence is deserved.

The Academy has grown in reach and ambition. Yet we remain a relatively small organisation, supported by an incredibly capable team which is why I’ll be seeking donations soon, so get your chequebooks ready.

To our tireless CEO, Catherine Luckin, your leadership has strengthened the Academy as an independent, trusted source of expert advice for health and medical science in Australia, and positioned us well to invest in our future – thank you. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with you over the past few years.

And to every member of the Academy team, thank you for your judgement, your dedication and your extraordinary capacity to turn ideas, into action.

I also thank our Council and committee members, especially Bronwyn Kingwell, who tomorrow will conclude some nine years on the Academy’s Executive. Bronwyn has brought invaluable industry insight from CSL, alongside wisdom and a generous commitment to the Academy.

Above all, I have loved spending time with our Fellows and mentees. Travelling around the country to hear your ideas for our new Strategic Plan was a particular pleasure.

The Academy’s 2026–2030 Plan reflects those conversations.

Its pillars, translating evidence into policy and practice, building national capability, recognising and harnessing excellence and championing health in our region build on the Academy’s strengths, while setting a bold ambition for the contribution we can make to Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

As I pass the baton to our incoming President, Professor John Prins, I do so with great confidence in the Academy’s future. Having known John for many years, I know he will bring deep experience, sound judgement and a clear understanding of how to bring research, healthcare and industry together for the public good.

John, it is a pleasure to hand over to you, and I look forward to seeing the Academy flourish under your leadership. Serving as President has been an immense honour, and a role I have truly loved.

To our extraordinary Fellowship, and the Academy’s Secretariate, I leave with a deep, deep gratitude for your friendship, for your generosity  and for the trust you have placed in me.

Thank you.

 

Now. Just before I hand back to our MC for the evening:

The Academy truly punches above its weight.

This year, we’ve secured support to take our Inclusive Leadership Mentoring Program national, advanced our work on trust in health and medical science, brought rigorous evidence to parliamentary inquiries on environmental threats to health, and helped shape the National Health and Medical Research Strategy.

That kind of independent, evidence-based leadership is only possible because of the dedication of our Fellows and the generosity of our supporters.

If you’re able, we invite you to contribute, to help the Academy continue delivering trusted, independent advice when the nation needs it most.

If you’re reading this online, please find the link to our donation page here: To the AAHMS donation page.

Thank you.