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Dean’s Newsletter – 21 July 2009

Congratulations to...

Emeritus Professor Clive Harper – Clive has just been awarded annual conference for the Research Society on Alcoholism 3rd Annual Henri Begleiter Award for Excellence in Research. This award is given to an individual demonstrating innovation or creativity and excellence in research and/or someone whose work has a major impact on the field: RSA annual awards.

Professor David Handelsman on his appointment as Editor, Male Reproduction for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism for 2010-15.

Professor Gary Halliday, Dr Scott Byrne and a recent BMedSc student Matthew Knox on having a recent paper named 2008 Publication of the Year by the journal Immunology and Cell Biology, published by the prestigious Nature Publishing Group (NPG). The three researchers from the Dermatology Research Foundation at the University of Sydney have identified a compound produced by certain fatal skin cancer tumours, providing new hope for developing treatments. Details available on the University news site: Skin cancer researchers throw new light on tumour growth.

Professor Lesley Barclay AO on her appointment earlier this year as Professor and Director of the Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health in Lismore.

The Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health (NRUDRH) was established in 2001 as a joint venture of the University of Sydney and Southern Cross University supported by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the North Coast Area Health Service. It is a multidisciplinary centre of excellence in education of students for clinical practice in rural health and conducts research relevant to the health needs of rural communities situated within the Northern Rivers region of NSW and elsewhere. The NRUDRH provides excellent rural experience in programs for medical, nursing, postgraduate public health and allied health undergraduate students. It also supervises postgraduate research students and provides continuing professional education for local clinicians. The Department has well-established research streams and has been successful in gaining a number of NHMRC and ARC grants, is a member of the Australian Rural Health Research Collaboration and works closely with other centres of the Collaboration in Moree and Broken Hill. The NRUDRH is one of ten University Departments of Rural Health (UDRHs) established around Australia and links to other UDRHs through its membership with the Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN).

Prior to joining the NRUDRH Lesley was the foundation Professor of Health Services Development at Charles Darwin University. Lesley is a maternal child health researcher and health system reformer whose many NHMRC and ARC and other projects have improved maternity services in remote, rural and urban Australia and internationally. Most of her recent research has been rural, remote or indigenous focussed. Lesley sees her appointment as an opportunity to enhance and position the already strong research and education team at NRUDRH more strategically nationally and internationally. She looks forward not only to working with the team in Lismore but colleagues in the other University of Sydney Departments of Rural Health and across faculties with colleagues in Nursing and Midwifery on shared NHMRC grants.

Lesley Barclay has trained over 40 researchers through their research degrees. She has published over 70 refereed journal articles (over 50 of these in the last decade) and an international prize winning book on traditional and professional maternity care in Samoa. She has edited another book, published this year in the United States, on birth models that work around the world. She works closely with governments, local communities and area health services to assist in health system improvement.

Lesley has worked in international development for nearly 20 years providing advice in primary health care, maternal infant/child health and capacity building in health worker education systems in Asia, Melanesia and the Pacific Islands. She was awarded an AO in 2004 in recognition of her contribution to professional and international development and child health.


H1N1 Medical Research Projects Fast-Tracked
Outcomes for these fast-tracked research projects to inform the Australian Government’s response to the evolving threat of H1N1 have just been announced. Four of the researchers are from Sydney Medical School. Congratulations to:

  • Dr Bin Wang - Real-time and quantitative monitoring of the emergence of oseltamivir resistance during the current influenza pandemic - $183,500
  • Professor Elizabeth Elliott - Characterisation of H1N1 Influenza 09 in hospitalised children using Paediatric Active Enhanced Diseases Surveillance - $118,513
  • Professor Robert Booy - An Unblinded randomized study of influenza A/H1N1 09 resistance to oseltamivir and zanamivir - National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases NSW - $149,460
  • Professor Simon Chapman who, with colleagues from the Universities of Melbourne and Canberra, was successful in being awarded a grant to examine the role of news media reports on the disease in influencing community infection-control related behaviours.

Details are available at the University news site: Projects receive swine flu funding


Welcome as an Honorary Professor – Don Nutbeam
Don has accepted my offer of appointment as an Honorary Professor in Sydney Medical School following completion of his Provost appointment on 31 July. While Provost and Deputy Vice- Chancellor (2006 – 2009), Don has maintained academic activity in the School of Public Health including PhD student supervision. His association with us has been long:

  • Professor of Public Health (1990 – 2000)
  • Head of School of Population Health (1997 - 2000)
  • Associate Dean, Faculty of Medicine (1998 - 2000)
  • Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head, College of Health Sciences (2003 - 2006)

and will continue given his involvement in two major NHMRC grants here:

  • NHMRC Program Grant: ($1.8m 2007-11):
    Understanding the impact of social, economic and geographic disadvantage on the health of Australians in mid - later life: what are the opportunities for prevention?
  • NHMRC Capacity Building Grant: ($2.317m 2007- 11):
    Making a difference – Interventions for Aboriginal health improvement



Bruce Robinson
Dean