6 December 2006
The Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University has awarded two senior researchers for their outstanding contributions to human health and wellbeing.
The 'David de Kretser Medal' and 'The Lifetime Achievement' awards were given in a prestigious ceremony last night by the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser.
Professor Warwick Anderson AM, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) was awarded the 2006 David de Kretser Medal. He started the role of Chief Executive Officer of the NHMRC in June this year after ten years at Monash University, firstly as Head of the Department of Physiology and since 2001, the Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
The David de Kretser Medal is given to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to any area of the faculty's operations over a significant period of his or her working life.
"Professor Anderson has made an enormously valuable contribution to Monash University through his leadership, firstly at the Department of Physiology and then concurrently at the new School of Biomedical Sciences. His far-sighted vision has helped place Monash University in a very strong position in the medical research area and is a very worthy recipient of the David de Kretser medal," said Professor Ed Byrne AO, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.
The Lifetime Achievement Award 2006 was awarded to Emeritus Professor Donald Metcalf AC of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. This award is given to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution, nationally and internationally to human health and wellbeing.
Professor Metcalf's pioneering work has enabled the development of bone marrow rescue therapies which have greatly improved the safety and effectiveness of anti-cancer treatments. He and his team discovered colony stimulating factors (CSFs), hormones that control white blood cell formation and the resistance to infections. These CSFs have been used in more than five million patients throughout the world as valuable reagents in accelerating the regrowth of blood cells following anti-cancer treatment, in permitting improved methods for blood cell transplantation and for increasing resistance to infections.
"I am deeply honoured to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award. What is really being recognised is the dedicated teamwork of more than 300 Melbourne scientists, clinicians and nurses who over a 30 year period have achieved major advances in our understanding and treatment of blood diseases. My colleagues appreciate this recognition of their accomplishments," said Professor Metcalf AC of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
For more information please contact Jocelyn Hunter on +61 3 9902 0256.
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