December newsletter

A message from our President

As 2022 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on a busy 12 months, which has involved many achievements for the Academy, as well as challenges for the health and medical sciences sector and community at large.

This year has seen us all working to live with “the new normal” of evolving variants and new waves of COVID-19. International issues, including the war in Ukraine, have added additional stress to our lives, while cost of living pressures have impacted on issues associated with health equity for many in the community. While we do not know what the future holds, I can confidently say that 2022 has again highlighted the importance of a robust health and medical sciences sector in Australia, and the need for the Academy’s expert, independent advice across health policy, research and innovation.

As an Academy, we should be proud of what we have achieved this year. Highlights include the launch of our major policy report on integrating research into the health system; the launch of our statement on the health impacts of climate change; record attendance for our online Allied Health Life as a Clinician-Scientist event; the return of in-person events, including our first face-to-face annual meeting in three years; and ongoing consultation and collaboration with other Academies, government, and industry partners for policy projects.

Our recent annual meeting, held in Melbourne in October, highlighted some of the biggest issues facing our sector. Keynote speaker Professor Claire Wardle, from Brown University, provided a riveting address on misinformation in health communication. If you were not able to attend, I strongly encourage you to watch a recording of Professor Wardle’s presentation, as well as a recording of the associated panel session featuring a range of experts from health and media. 

Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite FAHMS also delivered an excellent keynote focused on future health systems and how health providers can deliver effective, scalable and sustainable initiatives that benefit the health and wellbeing of the entire population. Watch a recording of Professor Braithwaite’s keynote in our video library, as well as the associated panel session featuring Fellows and other experts discussing health system improvement and what the future might hold for Australia.

I encourage you to nominate talented researchers for our two honorific awards. Nominations are now open for the Medal for Outstanding Female Researcher and the Jian Zhou Medal, with applications closing early next year (28 February 2023 and 30 April 2023, respectively). Nominees and nominators do not need to be Fellows of the Academy, so please consider making a nomination or sharing this opportunity with your networks. 

It is with sadness that I again reflect on the recent loss of our colleague, Professor Don McManus FAHMS. Elected to AAHMS in 2015, Professor McManus was an esteemed parasitologist who dedicated his life to the prevention, treatment and elimination of neglected tropical diseases caused by parasitic worms, which affected hundreds of millions of people worldwide. He was senior scientist and head of molecular parasitology at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, and his colleagues have shared with me memories of a generous, kind man who made an impact as a mentor, colleague and friend. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time.

Finally, I would like to thank the many Fellows and Associate Members who have generously given their time to provide expertise for our committees, working groups, events and policy submissions this year.

I wish you all a safe and happy festive season and look forward to working with you in 2023.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Steve Wesselingh PresAHMS
President

Sector news and opportunities

Victorian Department of Health translational research priorities 2022-24
The Victorian Department of Health has released nine departmental translational research priorities for 2022–24, which focus on improving population and public health, health service delivery and system capability. The department is looking to collaborate on research in these priority areas and translate research findings into policy and practice. The department wants to support research that:

• addresses disparity or need, and is inclusive of different priority cohorts, groups and communities
• considers sex and gender differences
• is person-centred
• is collaborative across different disciplines
• considers how its findings can be translated into policy and practice.

To find out more, view the department’s 2022–24 translational research priorities or contact the Health and Medical Research team at [email protected] to register your interest in partnership.

NDIS review
The Independent Review Panel into the National Disability Insurance Scheme have released their first review paper outlining their approach and are inviting the disability community to have their say. The review submission process is based around co-design and is fully accessible so all people with disability can take part and have their say, including online, on the phone, via video or by writing in. The Review Panel will embark on an engagement process over the next 12 months which will include community consultation, collaboration with stakeholders to improve the scheme before making recommendations and committing to an action plan. For more information visit the Review website.

Consultation on modernising the Disability Services Act
The Federal Government has launched the first major review of the Disability Services Act since 1986. Public consultation is encouraged from anyone, including people with disability, family members, carers, advocates, service providers, peak bodies and organisations. Consultation on modernising the Disability Services Act is open until December 20. Learn more at DSS Engage.