Welcome to the August 2024 newsletter. In this edition:
A message from our President
Earlier this year, AAHMS Fellows joined an international working group to advocate for “transformational change” to improve children’s health and wellbeing. The initiative was spearheaded by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and led by a steering committee of which I was proud to be a member. AAHMS Fellows Professor Melissa Wake and John Lynch joined representatives from Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and the US on the project.
They developed a statement calling on governments to address inequities and drive change, including five recommendations to improve outcomes for children worldwide. I encourage you to read the statement and share it widely: childhood health lays the foundation for population wellbeing. Find more information on our website.
The Academy has long had a goal of better supporting those who work in rural and regional health. Australia is a vast and diverse country, and as any of us who have worked in remote communities know, working in rural and regional areas comes with its own challenges, benefits and rewards. There is much to learn from the talented health and medical professionals working in these areas, and the resilience and innovation in these communities is truly inspiring. AAHMS will host our first-ever Life as Clinician-Scientist Rural and Regional symposium on 17 September to encourage the next generation of health leaders to seek out these exciting opportunities. I strongly encourage you to share this online event among your own networks. It will be hosted by our Mentorship Committee Chair Professor Louise Maple-Brown. It includes experts from around Australia who work across surgery, paediatrics, general medicine, infectious diseases, and more. Find out more on the event website.
Best,
Professor Louise Baur AM PresAHMS
Policy News
Federal Government RNA blueprint
The Academy welcomed the Federal Government’s RNA Blueprint, released in July. Professor Louise Baur, Academy President said:
“This is a strategic leap forward. The government’s commitment to developing the RNA sector is a monumental step towards revolutionising healthcare. By harnessing our existing strengths and addressing the critical gaps in research, infrastructure and funding, we can ensure that Australia remains at the forefront of medical innovation.”
Read more on our website.
Events
Life as a Clinician-Scientist NSW will be held at UNSW on Saturday, 24 August from 8:30am-1:30pm. These symposia are designed to inspire junior doctors, medical and health sciences students, and early career researchers to pursue a career as a clinician-scientist. Over lunch, attendees will have the opportunity to sign-up for 10-minute one-on-one mentoring sessions with our expert speakers.
Chaired by Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM FAHMS, Professor for Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, our speaker line-up includes:
- Professor Sarah Hilmer AM FAHMS, Head of Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Senior Staff Specialist in Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, and Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology, The University of Sydney
- Scientia Professor Anushka Patel FAHMS, Chief Executive Officer, The George Institute for Global Health
- Professor Marc Pellegrini FAHMS, Executive Director, Centenary Institute
- Associate Professor Philip Britton, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Physician, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and Associate Professor, Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney
- Associate Professor Sudarshini Ramanathan, Head, Translational Neuroimmunology Group, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, and Neurology Staff Specialist, Department of Neurology, Concord Hospital
Congratulations
Professor Ian Frazer was awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics from the University of Edinburgh, in recognition of his contributions to the world’s first cervical cancer vaccine.
Professor Melissa Little was elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). EMBO membership honours distinguished scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the life sciences.
Professor Peter Ebeling received the 2024 Frederic C. Bartter Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research recognising his outstanding clinical investigation in disorders of bone and mineral metabolism.
Professor Helena Teede received the Australian Medical Association’s 2024 Women in Medical Leadership Award. She was honoured alongside Dr Sarah Whitelaw for their efforts to promote gender equity and diversity.
On 25 July at a ceremony in Barcelona, Professor Ian Freckelton AO KC was awarded the highest honour bestowed by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, the Prix Philippe Pinel, named after an eminent Parisian psychiatrist of the late 18th/early 19th century who pioneered compassionate treatment of persons with mental illnesses. Professor Freckelton is the first Australian recipient of the award and joins past awardees who include Baroness Hale, President of the United Kingdom Supreme Court, and Justice L’Heureux-Dube of the Canadian Supreme Court, as well as American Professors Bruce Winick and David Wexler, the founders of therapeutic jurisprudence.
Fellows in the news
The Academy contributed to a COSMOS article highlighting outstanding First Nations researchers during NAIDOC Week.
Professor Sandra Eades was featured on Women’s Agenda for her research on improving mental health and wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People.
The Australian Research Data Commons spoke to Professor Angela Webster about Health Data Australia, an online catalogue launched in 2023 that contains descriptions of Australian clinical trials data and allows researchers to request access to this data.
Professor Louise Baur’s presentation to the International Congress on Obesity in Sao Paolo, Brazil, was covered in The Canberra Times, Daily Mail (UK) and The Telegraph (UK).
Professor Sharon Lewin spoke to ABC Radio National regarding the 25th World Aids Congress. The congress has received international media coverage.
Professor Susan Clark was lead author on a study which used AI to find potential cancer drivers in “junk” DNA. The study was published in Nucleic Acids Research, with a summary on The Garvin Institute’s website.
Professor Ian Hickie spoke to A Current Affair on the link between housing and mental health. He was also profiled on Radio New Zealand for his book The Devil You Knew, which covers the “myths” around depression. He also co-authored a piece for Australian Health Review, titled: Mental health reform: where are we in 2024?
Professor Pat Dudgeon was featured in a UWA article marking 10 years since the release of her seminal work Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice (co-authored with Professors Helen Milroy and Roz Walker).
Professor Stephen Duckett was quoted across multiple outlets, discussing pathology and system rorting during COVID. Outlets include: 6PR, ABC,
Professor Andrew Whitehouse wrote for The Conversation on policy reform and supporting young children with autism.
Professor Susan Davis spoke to Fairfax media about the misrepresentation of evidence for prescribing testosterone as a menopausal “cure-all” for women.
Professors Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long spoke to The Australian on the value of science. They were also celebrated in a column in The Canberra Times about Australia’s “unsung heroes”.
Professor Brendan Crabb spoke to SBS about Long COVID, with the interview featured on their Weekend One on One podcast. He also spoke at the Indoor Air Quality Conference in Melbourne and was interviewed by ABC Melbourne on the newly launched Pathway to Clean Indoor Air Project.
Associate Member Professor Suzanne Nielsen spoke to the Herald Sun on pill-testing, and wrote for the Canberra Times on synthetic opioid deaths. She also spoke to ABC News 24 on the issue.
Associate Member Professor Lauren Ball wrote for The Conversation on the health impacts of diet soft drinks.
Professor Shanthakumar Rajaratnam was quoted by ABC Listen and ABC News in a report about the farmer’s movement to cut back daylight savings to four months in NSW, discussing the impact of daylight savings on health.