Foundation for success

When Professor Christina Mitchell took up her role as the new Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences in September, she also became a member of the Monash University Medical Foundation board. The Foundation's aim is to match the philanthropic goals of individuals with the extraordinary research and education projects being undertaken by the Faculty.

"I am overwhelmed by the generosity of the board members. They give their time, expertise and financial support to help realise the vision of the Faculty," said Professor Mitchell.

Philanthropy begins with the board itself. All board members contribute their time and expertise to the Foundation and many also provide financial support to areas of research that particularly inspire them. The board members aim to inspire others by example.
As Chairman, Mr Rod Chadwick has been the driving force behind the Foundation for the past six years.

"We are blessed in this University to have such wonderfully qualified people who are so enthusiastic about their research. To achieve their vision there is a need for philanthropic support and that begins with the Foundation board members themselves," said Mr Chadwick.

This year, Mr Chadwick and his wife have chosen to direct their gift to prostate cancer research.

"A number of our friends had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and they had experienced quite different outcomes in terms of treatment. In the course of spending some time with Professor Gail Risbridger it was obvious that more research needs to be done to develop better diagnosis and treatments.

"It's up to all people who have had a successful personal career to think about the opportunity they can provide to others. From my experience it is a very gratifying, humbling and totally enjoyable involvement," said Mr Chadwick.

Dr Jack Hansky AM has been involved with Monash since he joined the Department of Medicine at Prince Henry's Hospital in 1963. Until his retirement, he had had some contact with every MBBS graduate since 1963. Dr Hansky has been a member of the Medical Foundation board since 2004.

"I agreed to join the board because I wanted to help the Faculty and had some experience in fundraising," said Dr Hansky.

In fact, Dr Hansky and his wife have a long history of generosity to various causes and have instilled a sense of philanthropy in their children and grandchildren.

"If you can afford it you should give to your maximum ability. We all need to have a sense of social responsibility. I have been inspired by people such as Marc Besen and Les Erdi who have both been extraordinarily generous philanthropists," said Dr Hansky.

Through the Foundation, Dr Hansky and his wife have chosen to support Professor Michael Cowley's research at the Monash Obesity and Diabetes Institute.

"It is extremely important to give money to research. It is the lifeblood of every university and a way to advance scientific discovery," said Dr Hansky.

Your role in supporting life-changing research To support the work of the Monash University Medical Foundation visit: www.med.monash.edu.au/foundation