Health and Medical Sciences MeDeFacts www.meddent.uwa.edu.au Volume 23 | Number 3 | September 2017

Please be upstanding – a toast to the Medical School on its 60th anniversary and to all its alumni.

From its jubilant beginnings in 1957, when 15 students completed their first year of medicine, to last year’s total of 253 graduands, the Medical School has flourished.

Over the 60 years it has witnessed enormous talent and produced exceptional alumni, including a Nobel Laureate, ACs, AOs, AMs, Australian of the Year, Rhodes Scholars, world-renowned researchers, clinicians, teachers and administrators. Above all, it prides itself on its doctors who not only care for their patients, but about them, and give unstintingly of their time for their welfare in all arenas.

It is well known that the Medical School only exists because of the generosity of the West Australian public who dug deeply into their pockets from 1955 to raise funds to establish it. These included community organisations, industry groups, professional groups, individuals and many others. Rural communities entered into the spirit and many farmers pledged part of their wool cut or crop – and now, of course, the Medical School boasts an enviable Rural Clinical School with 14 country sites.

In this edition, we celebrate our alumni and the impact they have had on future generations of doctors, the health of the community and the progress of medicine. And UWA Pro Vice-Chancellor and Faculty Executive Dean, Professor Wendy Erber, casts a line into the future to see what the next 60 years might bring forth.

Previous editions of MeDeFacts can be viewed online at www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/news/medefacts www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/news/medefacts Come on in - and enjoy your learning Students have been flocking with 20 dedicated PCs, after- hours meeting rooms and a into the newly revamped combined workspace for both Medical and Dental Library library and Faculty staff. New following its opening on coded locker facilities are 6 September. available on the ground and first floors. The vibrant and invigorated library welcomes UWA students and staff as On the second floor are the well as alumni and members of the Dean’s office and Faculty staff public. offices.

The $7 million refurbished building Library Manager Ms Merrilee provides a modern, student-focused Albatis said students space for study, teaching and learning really valued a variety of and a new home for Health and learning spaces – thus the Medical Sciences’ Faculty and library collaborative spaces on staff in the heart of the QEII campus. the ground floor and the The renovation coincides with the individual study spaces on celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first floor. “We are getting the Medical School. more students into our libraries than ever before. The stylish design includes a feature The Reid Library has seen timber ceiling representing the a marked increase in the human spine and elements of number of visitors since its dentition-inspired collaborative refurbishment, proof that students are keen to meet, tables. The project was a collaboration between the study and collaborate with architectural firm Hames Sharley, each other in inspiring, the Faculty of Health and Medical technology-rich spaces.” Sciences, the University Library, Development and Alumni Relations, Campus Management, University IT, and student representatives.

The new library ground floor offers Photo: Top - Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean Professor Wendy Erber (left) with Vice-Chancellor Professor a technology-rich collaborative Dawn Freshwater at the information desk of the newly-refurbished Medical and Dental Library. learning hub made up of a 120- Photo: Middle - The student PC area on the ground floor. seat e-learning suite, a seminar Photo: Bottom - Bookable group study booths on the ground floor. presentation room, bookable study booths and group study rooms. This level also includes new amenities, kitchen facilities and a student lounge. The main library service point MBBS reunions has been designed to facilitate better student-staff interaction through a MBBS 1987 - 30 year reunion, 21 October at side-by-side model of support. The Trustee in St George’s Terrace.

The ground floor also houses an Alumni Lounge with exclusive MBBS 1967 - 50 year reunion, 28 October lunch at the meeting and work space for University Club in the formal dining room. graduates, donors and community Speaker: Clinical Professor Alex Cohen. partners who have played a huge role in first-rate teaching, research and practice. MBBS 1957 (intake year) - 60 year reunion, 11 November lunch at the University Club. The first floor has individual, silent study areas and access to the library’s core Health and Medical Please email UWA Alumni Relations at Sciences print collection. Also on [email protected] for more information. this floor is a computer training room

2 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 The Dean’s Diary By Professor Wendy Erber, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean The UWA Medical School in 2050 On this 60th anniversary of the is therefore not at all impossible that “University Medical School” we reflect even at comparatively short intervals, new and valuable suggestions may be on where we have come from and made both with regard to subjects to be what we have achieved since it was taught and to methods to be employed established in 1957. I have been giving in giving the instruction.” More than a thought to the Medical School of the century on, these words remain true. The subject matter has changed, as future. have the methods of instruction and assessment (though examinations We began with 25 students at the remain to the student “a necessary “University Medical School” to train the evil”) but the principles remain. And first home-grown doctors for the State. so they will for medical students of At that time there were four medical the future. The style of teaching and schools in Australia and 860 medical learning may again change. In the students; 60 years on these numbers 19th century medical education was We are already moving to the use of have grown significantly and there are largely as an apprenticeship. In the telecommunication and digital tools now 20 medical schools nationwide 20th century this was supplemented by to remotely diagnose illnesses. Instant (three in WA) and 20,000 students! Our textbook education. In the 21st century communication and data transmission UWA medical program has changed with global access to information will increasingly have an impact in from a six-year undergraduate MB and teachers, the mode of delivery acute and life-threatening situations. BS degree with students entering will again change and the University Telemedicine will improve delivery directly from high school to a four- will need to review what education is of healthcare in rural and remote year postgraduate MD, admitting 240 provided locally, and how. parts of our State and could lead to students annually. This move to a internationalisation of medical care. graduate program has been a common Doctor-patient relationship is key trend nationally and internationally. And how will we practise medicine in By 2050 there will be 10 million Our curriculum includes the scientific 2050? Medicine must continue to be Australians over 65 years of age – basis of disease as well as clinical a very human interaction: the doctor- double the number of today. This training in hospital and community patient relationship will remain as a demographic change will have a major practices both in the metropolitan area key element of medical practice and impact on healthcare. There will be a and in many regional locations. health delivery. The care of the patient greater focus on maintaining a healthy and their family will remain paramount population and avoiding chronic Our Medical School has made some and be central to the practice of conditions. The medical curriculum of remarkable achievements over the medicine. The traditional methods of tomorrow will see a greater focus on first 60 years, graduating thousands of care, communication and compassion disease prevention, health promotion, doctors (including a Nobel Laureate), are important today and will continue rehabilitation and maintenance of making seminal medical discoveries so into the future. The growing costs wellbeing (both physical and mental) and teaching the next generation of delivering health care may well see for the increased ageing of society. of doctors. In that time society has medical practice move away from changed considerably – the population hospitals and into the community, with Clinician-researchers of tomorrow of WA has trebled, we live in a global doctors becoming members of inter- Our medical students will be the multicultural world and have seen professional care teams. Our patients clinician-researchers of tomorrow. a computer revolution. The average will be better informed through global They will make their own discoveries life expectancy has increased by access to information. and inventions that will challenge 13 years, we know the full human current dogma and potentially change genome, there is greater equality for We will see and need to work with how we practise medicine. Our women worldwide and there have demographic and sociological medical students will assist UWA in been changes in our environment. changes. Children of today will grow achieving its ambition to be a “top 50” None of these things could have been up with more and better quality health university in the world by 2050. Our predicted 60 years ago. knowledge and greater access to medical research is already world class information than their parents. Early and we are currently rated number 42 Future medical education exposure to medical knowledge could in the world in clinical medicine. What will medical education look like lead to more young people desiring as we ponder the future? There will be to study medicine, leading to entry Medical knowledge and the health change, but some things will remain to the program becoming even more care system of tomorrow will differ the same. In 1900 Professor Bowditch competitive than currently. There from that of today. As we go forward of Harvard Medical School published will be new diseases, new challenges we will need to continually monitor an article in the Boston Medical (e.g. antimicrobial resistance), new and modify our curriculum, teaching Journal entitled “The Medical School of monitoring tools and treatments. delivery and assessment to ensure the Future”, in which he remarked that Technological developments will lead our graduates are the best we can “the progress of medicine at the present to new investigative tools (some at the produce. I am confident that our UWA time is so rapid that new points of view fingertips of the patient), non-invasive Medical School will deliver! are constantly being secured, and it procedures and targeted therapeutics.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 3 Our alumni are a source of pride for the Medical School. UWA Pro Vice-Chancellor and Faculty Executive Dean, Professor Wendy Erber, has chosen six of them from across the decades to be featured here. The articles, plus a brief CV of each of the six alumni, can be found also on the website www.medpharm.uwa.edu.au/60anniversary

“Eric Saint, we regarded him as a genius Choosing the path because he had a remarkable turn of 1957: Sixth year medical students at Royal Perth phrase, a wonderful gift of language. And Hospital with a nurse attending to a patient in Dick Lefroy was a fantastic teacher, he was a Thomas splint. They are, from left, John Lore, that challenged Sonny Gubbay and the late Bill Dawson. down to our level, he took his time and tried to make us understand.” A young neurologist, Dr Sasson (Sonny) Gubbay, was walking through the Royal Perth Hospital Paraplegic Unit in Shenton Clinical Professor Gubbay has fond Park in 1966 when something caught his memories of his role in 1957 as editor of the first medical students’ magazine, The eye. Reflex, which included an article penned by him about his classmate, Mike McCall, a He was doing a ward round with unit Rhodes Scholar that year. director Dr George Bedbrook (later Sir George) and noticed that many of the He looks back happily on his career. “I paraplegics who were improving had a foot wanted to do medicine all my life, even as drop. He suggested to Dr Bedbrook that a child, because my mother had so much it was not due to paraplegia but because respect for our general practitioner,” he they had damaged their lateral popliteal explains. nerve from pressure caused by lying still in bed so long. The reason he chose neurology is a bit more off-beat. “I realised even in fourth year medicine that I wanted to “I proved it with electromyography and be a physician and when I passed my he was thrilled with that,” recalls Clinical membership exams, the MRACP, I felt very “I had the rare privilege of doing both Professor Gubbay, who then co-authored sufficient in every area except neurology. adults and children during those 50 years,” a paper with another neurologist and I wanted to be sufficient in every area and he says. He helped Dr Peter Silberstein Dr Bedbrook and it was presented so neurology was a challenge. Also I was establish the neurological unit at PMH and internationally. interested in the brain and how it worked.” established paediatric EEGs and EMGs in WA. After training overseas in adult and Clinical Professor Gubbay had graduated paediatric neurology and neuropathology, Now aged 82, he only recently “retired” in 1957, having been in the first class that including at Harvard Medical School, he from his hospital positions and continues returned from interstate to the University returned to Perth. What followed was to teach at the post-graduate level and of WA to undertake the sixth and final year a remarkable career, remaining as a examine medical students. of the MBBS at the newly-established consultant for 50 years at both RPH and Medical School. The students had Princess Margaret Hospital for Children He was made a Member of the Order completed the first year of their degree as well as maintaining a private practice, of Australia (AM) in 2006 for service in the pre-medical sciences also at UWA. teaching and examining in the Faculty, to medicine in the field of neurology, Having topped the first year, Sasson and assessing grant applications. He was particularly through clinical and academic Gubbay chose to go to the University appointed Head of Neurology at RPH in contributions to the neurological care of of Adelaide because it had an excellent 1977. both children and adults, and as a teacher reputation and his friends were going and mentor. there. He has contributed enormously to the field of neurology including in the areas of stroke, migraine, epilepsy, and dyspraxia “When we were still in 5th year in Adelaide, in children. many of us came back in our August holidays because we knew at that stage we were coming back for sixth year to Western Australia to start the Medical School,” he recounts. The students were invited by the then Dr Eric Saint, who was Head of the Clinical Research Unit at RPH, to attend a ward round during their holiday. “Just before the ward round started, we read in the newspaper that he’d been made the (Foundation) Professor of Medicine.”

All the consultants who were going to be medical teachers at the new Medical School were extremely enthusiastic, says Clinical Professor Gubbay. “I had some favourites like Professor (Rolf) ten Seldam who treated me and a couple of others as The class of 1957 – they were the first students to undertake the sixth and final year of the MBBS at the though he were a father. newly-established Medical School. Clinical Professor Sonny Gubbay is in the front row, far right.

4 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 “Then I came back to Australia as, Clinical Professor Parry remarks. embarrassingly, the new guru because this discipline was just emerging In a way, he was used to being a across the world,” he recounts. “So I pioneer. He was in the first cohort of was enormously privileged as well as 33 students – with only two females challenged to introduce preventive – who did the entire six years of the community developmental paediatrics. MBBS at UWA, graduating in 1962. With I guess I was probably the first one the new team of professors, Clinical in Australia so that’s where it all then Professor Parry says there was a began.” sense of camaraderie and “newness”. “I think that there was really a deep Clinical Professor Parry remained appreciation of the opportunity but Director and Senior Paediatrician of also an appreciation of the small group the Centre for almost three decades, which could relate to one another as until 2004. Over those years, some of well to the professorial staff,” he says. the achievements that delight him The friendships have endured and, most are the introduction of vision, without fail, the class has met every Clinical Professor Trevor Parry hearing and cognitive screening of year in November since graduation and children around the State by child now includes spouses. health nurses, organising international Forging the visiting lecturers in contemporary issues Clinical Professor Parry remembers such as autism, introducing training in particular one mentor, Professor programs in developmental paediatrics, Richard (Dick) Lefroy. “He taught us to way for child and facilitating the setting up of the think clinically and problem solve and Circle of Security program, the Family so he stands out, I think for many of us, development Partnership Training Program for early as a wonderful teacher,” he says. intervention, which is now in all States and New Zealand (he became chair It was a Friday in the 1970s when a Clinical Professor Parry has maintained of the Australasian Board), and the young paediatrician was asked to a strong connection with his alma National Investment for the Early Years mater and has been a tutor, lecturer, submit a funding proposal for a new (he was founder and Chair of the State co-ordinator and examiner for medical scheme he had in mind to the WA Branch). Commissioner for Public Health. It was students for 45 years and is a Clinical Professor in Paediatrics and Child to be in by Monday. It was also thanks to his dedication that Health. developmental paediatrics transformed That forward-thinking specialist was from being “not proper medicine” to In 2012 he was made a Member of the Clinical Professor Trevor Parry and he a highly respected discipline. “It was a Order of Australia (AM) for services recalls that the Commissioner had been real battle for a number of years to have to paediatric medicine and to child asking, “What’s that idea that Parry keeps recognition of the reality and value of health. talking about?” interdisciplinary teams working for the developmental wellbeing of children,” Clinical Professor Parry was then the only developmental paediatrician in the Health Department and his idea was to bring child development into the spotlight. With the help of the WA Director of Child Health, Clinical Professor Parry filed the proposal.

“We put in a request for funding in order to establish a team of professionals, interdisciplinary, and so the State Child Development Centre emerged,” Clinical Professor Parry says.

He had returned to Perth a few years earlier after undertaking postgraduate training in public health and child health in England. “It was when I did the Diploma in Child Health that I discovered a new discipline of developmental paediatrics and that just rang all the The 1962 final year class: Back row: H. Watts, J. Kagi, G. Deleuil, D. McCully, D. Daw, J. Marum, L. Blake, bells for me,” he explains. He was soon G. Panizza, I. Yaksich, B. Edis, G. Cullity. awarded a Nestles Paediatric Travelling Centre: M. Cohen, R. Swannell, N. Turner, J. Rowlands, K. Shilkin, M. Sloss, J. Adamson, T. Parry, S. Brash, Fellowship and completed a 12-month J. Milne, E. King, A. Antonow. Front row: B. Bolton, J. Nicholas, T. Redgrave, B. Hogan, A. Waddell, P. Foote, M. Cooper, A. Jones, J. Scopa, course in developmental paediatrics. A. Galvin, J. Lee, S. Jacob.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 5 Standing up for health

Kingsley Faulkner was down a two metre ditch on his father’s farm, digging it out yet again, when he decided it was time to get out.

He was 20, had a Diploma in Agriculture from Muresk under his belt and a future on the Porongurup farm, but the annually collapsing ditch sealed his fate. “My road to Damascus began down the bottom of this ditch and I thought, ‘I’m not going Professor Kingsley Faulkner was on UWA Guild Council in 1965 as a student. He is far right. to be doing this for the next 50 years. I’m going to get out and I’m going to study environment like that, additional surgical health problems in Australia and New medicine.’” skills would be more use than additional Zealand.” physician training,” he explains. He had been studying English literature, Professor Faulkner is also Vice President philosophy, economics and mathematics He had married in fourth year of Medical of Cancer Council WA, sits on the Board at night as a UWA external student and School and he and his wife Kathleen of the East Metropolitan Health Service, ploughing the fields by day. “It was the spent the next three years in England is on the academic staff of the University relative intellectual isolation that I found where he trained as a surgeon, returning of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) and difficult as a young man,” he explains. to WA only because his father was very remains a Clinical Professor at UWA, ill. After graduating in surgery in 1978, teaching surgeons-in-training at CTEC. Isolation became a thing of the past he was appointed to the surgical staff at and a great deal of his next 50 years was Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and later His additional driving passion is his work devoted to social issues and powerful became the Head of the Department of as Chair of Doctors for the Environment advocacy roles. General Surgery. Australia for the past six years. “This is a huge issue that has been badly handled He began his MBBS at UWA in 1963 and by It was in that era, the 1980s, that he in this country so far,” he explains. “At the third year he was on the university’s Guild became heavily involved in public moment, the overwhelming evidence is Council and WA secretary of the National health education and advocacy, having that unless we act far more urgently and Union of Australian University Students. witnessed the tragedy of asbestos on far more decisively in addressing climate “I actually followed Rob Holmes a visits to the Wittenoom blue asbestos change, the health consequences as well Court into that role and he and I wrote mine during his time in the Pilbara. as other environmental, social, economic, a critique about apartheid, trying to corporate governance and national argue for sanctions against South Africa,” He took up the cudgels for the anti- security consequences are going to be he recalls. “And the Vietnam War was smoking campaign, beginning a 35-year enormous.” raging so I was involved in the student involvement with the Australian Council movement that was totally opposed to on Smoking and Health, of which he was He and his wife also make time to visit that war.” His interest in wider issues was Chairman for eight years and is currently their four children and 10 grandchildren, sparked. Vice President. “It has been the most who are spread around the globe. significant and the most prolonged He remembers his six years in the Medical advocacy group in the tobacco arena,” he says. School as very happy ones, with key mentors including Professors Eric Saint, For nine years he was on the Council Neville Stanley, Rolf ten Seldam, Bill of the Royal Australasian College of Macdonald, David Sinclair and Associate Surgeons, the last two as President, and Professor Brian Vivian. for the past seven years has been the Chair of the Foundation for Surgery, the In his second year after graduation philanthropic arm of the RACS. “That he headed north to Port Hedland gives me a lot of satisfaction because it as a District Medical Officer, gaining now has a corpus of $60 million and funds experience with the Royal Flying Doctor surgical research, global health initiatives Service. It was during his RFDS days within countries in our neighbourhood, that he chose surgery as his specialty. and initiatives addressing indigenous “It seemed to me that in an isolated Professor Kingsley Faulkner

6 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 patient and generous personality. He inspired me to pursue training in clinical research and played an instrumental role in the success of my first peer reviewed publication and my first successful grant application.”

Associate Professor Eikelboom completed his training in internal medicine and haematology at Royal Perth Hospital and trained in epidemiology and thrombosis medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, where he later took up a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine followed by a Career Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Associate Professor John Eikelboom In his early research career, Associate who donated their body to medical Professor Eikelboom studied risk education,” he says. “My anatomy factors for atherosclerotic vascular Lessons from teachers led us with great patience and disease, with a particular focus expertise to understand the intricacy on stroke and the possible role of and beauty of the human body. Another hyperhomocysteinaemia. long ago still distinct memory is a series of inspired lectures by Roger Taylor on the anatomy Now he is working on various resonate and physiology of the heart.” approaches to improving the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic therapy. During consultations with his patients, Vivid memories from the clinical years Successes have included work on Associate Professor John Eikelboom has include his first visit to the operating the impact of variable response to a voice in his head from 30 years ago. room as a medical student, and his antiplatelet therapy on clinical outcome, mentors such as Mr Pestell. “I was awed the adverse impact of bleeding on It is that of respected surgeon Mr George by the acumen of senior medical and outcome, and the benefits of combined Pestell, teaching UWA medical students surgical consultants, although they were anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy the first to tell their students that no at St John of God Hospital. “The clinical for prevention of cardiovascular events. amount of ability and laboratory testing insights that he taught us and his plea to Associate Professor Eikelboom has can compensate for spending time with ‘test the urine’ accompany me as I see also shown the impact of bleeding on patients,” he says. my clinic patients,” Associate Professor adverse cardiovascular events and the Eikelboom says. effect of duration of blood storage prior After spending several years to transfusion on outcome. contemplating the direction of his Now a highly respected teacher career, he pursued haematology and He continues to practise medicine as himself and an eminent haematologist research in thrombosis and vascular a haematologist, with thrombosis and and researcher, Associate Professor medicine. “Pat Crawford and John vascular medicine as a major focus. Eikelboom is Senior Investigator at the Raven were superb clinicians who And he is responsible for mentorship Population Health Research Institute inspired me to train in haematology,” and training of residents and Fellows at McMaster University in Hamilton, he recalls. “Memorable periods of my in thrombosis and clinical research Ontario, Canada, having been appointed clinical training include spending two methods. “This also provides a in March to the Jack Hirsch/PHRI Chair years as a registrar together with Gavin wonderful opportunity to identify the in Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis Cull who was a tremendous colleague rare individual with a true passion for Research. He is also Associate Professor and a steadying force during my discovery who can be groomed for a in the Department of Medicine at registrar days, and with Wendy Erber future career in clinical research,” he McMaster University, a haematologist at who was and still is an exceptional says. Hamilton General Hospital, and a Clinical haematopathologist.” Professor at UWA. Although his work commitments have He also has a lot of time for Professor prevented his attending any Medical When he recalls his days at the UWA Graeme Hankey, Professor of Neurology School reunions, he has a plan. “My Medical School, where he completed his at UWA. “He is a truly remarkable mission is to attend the 35th reunion of MBBS in 1988, learning anatomy during physician, scientist and individual. I the class of 1988 in 2023!” the preclinical years is at the forefront am yet to meet a more accomplished of his memory. “It was an exhilarating clinician and clinical researcher and privilege to be taught by wonderful he combines these qualities with teachers and to learn from those exceptional intellect and a wonderfully

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 7 still enjoys keeping in touch with many of gone the full circle a few times - he is the his classmates. Head of the Department at St John of God Fun led to Subiaco, where he was born, he took over “It may well have been the golden age of the practice of Professor Con Michael 13 medical education,” he says. “We were years after he had been expertly tutored by fame very fortunate in that day and age that him in fifth year, and he has delivered eight we were not put under huge amounts of of the grandchildren of Mr Ivan Thompson, pressure. You had to pass, there were no with whom he worked during his surgical second chances. But we were given the term. In all, he has delivered more than opportunity to get an education. In the 4,000 babies. six-year course there was the opportunity to immerse yourself in the basic sciences He has maintained his private practice, and I think they are important to medical despite the workload of his AMA roles as practice. current Federal President and Immediate Past President of the WA branch. “And the time we were given to have fun, relax, to just be uni students for a while But with these leadership roles, something was really important.” had to go and after 10 years of teaching It may seem an unlikely leap UWA medical school students at Osborne from a bit of “mischief, fun and skulduggery” at a medical He feels huge gratitude towards his Park Hospital, he relinquished that work. students’ conference to heading Medical School teachers. “We do However, he still teaches Notre Dame the most powerful doctors’ remember their names,” he says wryly. medical students, remains a consultant organisation in Australia but that’s with the Perinatal Loss Service at exactly the trajectory of a 1994 “One other real highlight for me, and I KEMH and sits on the WA Perinatal and medical graduate. think it’s borne out in my career choice, Infant Mortality Committee and the was living in at Agnes Walsh House at King Ethics Committee of the World Medical Edward Memorial Hospital during our Association. Obstetrician/gynaecologist Dr Michael obstetrics term for four weeks. We all got Gannon, Federal President of the to deliver babies.” The students learnt by Australian Medical Association (AMA), immersion. “Because there was a dozen had his first brush with medico-politics of us living together, there was definitely as early as first year Medical School – an opportunity for mischief but, more although at that time his involvement was importantly, when people came back not based on lofty ideals. from the labour ward or the operating theatre, they related their experiences so “There were 36 of us who caught the it was a unique way of learning.” train to the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) convention in He thoroughly enjoyed his general Melbourne in 1989,” he recalls. “Most of medicine term at Fremantle Hospital, the us went because we wanted to have fun. surgical term at Royal Perth Hospital, and And in second year, five of us drove to the a term in Katanning where GP Dr Ralph AMSA convention in Brisbane.” Chapman was particularly helpful. He also recalls the inspirational teaching By fourth year he was elected the AMSA Dr Michael Gannon (left) in “convict” garb at of infectious diseases physician Dr Clay the Australian Medical Students’ Association representative from UWA and in fifth year Golledge. Convention in 1993 on James Oval, in his Medical he was the National President of AMSA, School days. He is with, from left, Dr Julia Feutrill, which meant that the 22-year-old also Dr David Mincham at far back, Mr Gavin Clark and Dr Gannon went on to specialise in sat on the Federal Council of the AMA. Dr Dru Daniels. obstetrics and gynaecology. He has “I suppose my involvement with the AMA has continued near-continuously since then. So although my entrée to AMSA was through the mischief, fun and skulduggery of attending the convention, it just became very obvious that it was an organisation that was making contributions to the life of medical students and making a contribution to health through the contribution we were in turn able to make to the AMA.”

He remembers the years of his MBBS degree on the Crawley campus as fabulous times. He enjoyed catching up with school-friends in other Faculties, Dr Michael Gannon with five of his former Medical School classmates at St John of God Subiaco Hospital playing intervarsity cricket and football, where they were all Visiting Medical Officers. They are, from left, Mr Richard Pemberton (Urologist), Dr Michael Gannon (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist), Dr Michelle Ammerer (Cardiologist), Dr Elizabeth and joining the debating club. He found Ferguson (Anaesthetist), Mr Gavin Clark (Orthopaedic Surgeon) and Mr Peter Bray (Vascular Surgeon). the Medical School to be excellent and

8 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 Dr Rebecca Hutchens at the Dedication Ceremony for medical graduates with her mother Professor Helen Milroy and grandmother Gladys Milroy. Camaraderie and country clinical training

It is only four years since Dr Back in Perth, taking time out from the Rebecca Hutchens completed her demands of the busy six-year medical supervision of Associate Professor medical degree at The University degree came in the form of art – but it Brendan McQuillan, Head of the School of of WA but she is sure that certain was confined to the university holidays. Medicine. memories will remain as standouts – her friendships and the Rural She had other priorities and at the end Mentors have been a big part of her Clinical School. of her final year in 2013 she was awarded medical degree and training. “In the top prize in Medicine, the Australian Medical School, sometimes it was Medical Association (WA) Prize, which “You go through quite a stressful degree medical students in the years above goes to the student who obtains the and you form really strong friendships you, sometimes it was junior doctors,” highest aggregate mark for all core units that I still maintain to this day,” she she explains. “Then at the Rural Clinical over the six years of the MBBS course. says. “But also, which is linked to that, is School I had a really good GP mentor, Dr participating in the Rural Clinical School.” Jonathan Morling, a rural generalist. He That experience involved spending her Dr Hutchens, who was the first was a very inspirational, multi-skilled GP, fifth year of medicine in Derby, which she Indigenous student to win the coveted he really genuinely cared for the people found challenging but rewarding and very AMA prize, also won the Helen Jane he was working with so I think he stands enjoyable. Lamard Prize in Medicine for the student out as one of my great mentors. who is the most outstanding in Medicine in the sixth year. The challenge was living in a small “And Brendan McQuillan has been an community town, away from Perth, important mentor in completing my friends, family and the comforts of city Another priority during her degree was to research Masters. I approached him to life that she was used to. “And there help her fellow students and in her final be my research supervisor because I were some challenging issues in Derby year she was on the WA Medical Students’ remembered what a great teacher he including a high burden of mental illness Society committee as an Indigenous was at Medical School when we were and chronic disease,” she explains. “I representative, along with Gemma undergraduates.” didn’t always feel there was great access Johnston. They arranged an Indigenous to services.” Health Panel to promote awareness of a Of her decision to pursue medicine, range of issues and to engage students in she says, “I liked science and working Part of the enjoyment of that year came Indigenous health. with people and talking to people. from a professional development week And obviously watching my Mum as a spent with the Derby and Broome-based Now based at Sir Charles Gairdner role model my whole life I’m sure had RCS students at El Questro Wilderness Hospital, she is in her first year of a three- an influence.” Her Mum is Professor Park in the Kimberley. “We would do a bit year training course to be a physician and Helen Milroy, Director of the Centre for of study and practise OSCEs (objective has not yet decided which specialty she Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health structured clinical examinations) in the will choose but would like eventually to (CAMDH), who was the first Indigenous morning and then in the afternoon go work in Indigenous health. medical graduate in WA and the first and climb a gorge,” she says. When it Indigenous psychiatrist in Australia. came time to return to Derby, she and The last two years have also been some student friends drove back along dedicated to research, on the topic Looking ahead, Dr Hutchens would like the Gibb River Road, camping in different of atrial fibrillation management. She to work interstate or overseas in order to gorges. “It was amazingly beautiful and is currently undertaking a Masters of experience a different hospital system so it was a great time, I’ll never forget it.” Clinical Research at UWA under the and also complete a PhD.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 9 To provide a snapshot 1959 1969 1969 of some of the many Emeritus Professor Con Michael AO AM Professor Colin Masters AO Emeritus Professor John Fletcher AM outstanding alumni who have passed through the Emeritus Professor, The University of WA; Chair WA Board Co-Head of the Neurodegeneration Emeritus Professor of Surgery, of the Medical Board of Australia; Member Medical Board Division at the Florey Institute and University of Sydney and Westmead halls of the Medical School, of Australia; Chair Embryo Testing Principal Committee Laureate Professor at the University Hospital; formerly Senior Lecturer, we asked a number to tell NHMRC; former Professor and Head of Department of Melbourne; Senior Medical Associate Professor and Professor. us about their main areas of Obstetrics and Gynaecology UWA; former Head of Specialist at the Royal Melbourne of impact as a clinician Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology King Edward Hospital; former Executive Director, Medical School memories: The and/or researcher and/or Memorial Hospital. Mental Health Research Institute. campus at Crawley, especially teacher on the community. Anatomy, and the Hospital Clinical We also asked them to step Medical School memories: A group of 15 students Medical School memories: Schools – Royal Perth Hospital, Sir back into their days at the completed first year and transferred to Adelaide for the next Getting onto the wards and being Charles Gairdner Hospital, King Edward three years as there was no Medical School in WA. During overwhelmed by the knowledge/ Memorial Hospital. Medical School and describe this time the public appeal for the first medical school in WA expertise of my teachers. their strongest and fondest had been launched. The same number returned to Perth Key impact: Being at Westmead memories. Their snapshots, in 1958 to complete fifth and sixth year. The small number Key impact: Unravelling Hospital from its outset and having plus their major awards, of students all away from home bonded and remained some of the mysteries of a key role in the establishment of are listed on the website close friends throughout the course and later in hospital Alzheimer’s disease and related a comprehensive range of surgical www.medpharm.uwa.edu. training positions. This friendship continues today in neurodegenerative conditions. services in a new teaching hospital; au/60anniversary surviving graduates more than 50 years later. The number development of vascular surgery as a of students today (more than 300 in Medical Schools in BMedSc(Hons), MBBS, MD, Hon.DLitt separate specialty and the evolution three universities) does not foster such a close friendship of endovascular surgery; support of Alumni are placed on W.Aust., FRCPath, FRCPA, FFSc, FAA, throughout the whole of any year. FTSE, FAHMS. vascular biology and surgical outcome the timeline according research centres; teaching of medical to the year in which they Key impact: Undergraduate and postgraduate teaching students and surgical trainees in completed their MBBS at education and training in WA, nationally and internationally a rapidly changing scientific and UWA. We also have included for more than three decades, becoming President of medical environment; and promoting two Professors who were the RACOG in 1989-1992. My research interest was the nationally and internationally an awarded an Honorary investigation and management of hypertensive disease in increasing awareness for the prevention Doctor of Letters from UWA pregnancy. The results were translated into management and treatment of venous thrombo- of the condition. In medical regulation I have contributed to embolism. and one who graduated the safety of reproductive technology at a time when it was with an MD (Doctor of expanding rapidly nationally and internationally. Through MBBS, MD, MS (Syd), FRACS, FRCS, DDU. Medicine, Graduate my long-term appointment to the Medical Board of WA and Research Higher Degree) of Australia I have contributed to public from UWA. Constrained by safety in health care. space, our list is far from exhaustive. We are keen to MBBS, MRCOG (London), MD profile many more alumni (UWA), FRCOG (London), DDU (in ultrasound), FRACOG Foundation on the website so if you Fellow, Hon. M.AcMed. Malaysia, would be happy to be Hon. F.AcMed. Singapore, Hon. included, please contact Doctor of Laws UNDA, Hon. Doctor of the Development and Science Curtin University. Alumni Relations office. 1959 1969 1973

1959 1969 1973 Clinical Professor Tim Professor Fiona Stanley AC Professor Geoff Riley Welborn AO AM Founding Director and now Consultant endocrinologist, Patron, Telethon Kids Institute; Professor of Rural now in private practice; Distinguished Research and Remote Medicine; Clinical Professor of Medicine Professor, University of WA; Vice- Honorary Senior Fellow, at The University of Western Chancellor’s Fellow, University of Rural Clinical School of Australia; Emeritus consultant, Sir Melbourne; Research Director, Australian WA, The University of Western Charles Gairdner Hospital, former consultant in the National Development Index, University of Melbourne; UNICEF Australia; former roles include Acting Dean and, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at SCGH. Australian Ambassador for Early Childhood Development. prior to that, Associate Dean (Student Affairs), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Medical School memories: The privilege of devoted Medical School memories: Impossible to answer (which are Science, UWA; Head of the Rural Clinical School teaching from a dedicated Faculty. the fondest memories) - but going to Port Hedland in second of WA; Head of School of Primary, Aboriginal year, Papua New Guinea in fifth year and having Dr Kevin and Rural Health Care, and Head of School of Key impact: Documenting the burden of diabetes Cullen as a mentor changed my thinking about what medicine Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, FMDHS, in Australia with repeated population studies. My could really do. UWA; Member, Medical Board of WA; consultant research in improving insulin assays led to the psychiatrist Royal Perth Hospital and Fremantle identification of insulin resistance, subsequently Key impact: Establishing epidemiology and public health Hospital. known as the metabolic syndrome. I reported research and training in child and youth health in WA; setting the measurement of C-peptide levels as a way up the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (now Medical School memories: Life-long friends and of discriminating type 1 from type 2 diabetes. Telethon Kids Institute); with others (eg Hobbs and Holman) colleagues. Involvement in major studies including the Busselton enabling collection, linkage and analysis of population Health Study and AusDiab. When President of the records of health and wellbeing for WA as an epidemiological Key impact: A decade as a rural GP and Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) in 1984 and with Len research and policy evaluation capacity which is now one psychiatrist in Pemberton, WA; a decade as Dickson, then President of the Diabetes Federation of the best internationally; being part of the team which Member of the Medical Board of WA; many years of Australia (DFA), we achieved the amalgamation of elucidated the relationship of folate and neural tube defects of caring for doctors and their families; working the warring tribes, including the ADS, DFA, Diabetes and with Professor Carol Bower, implemented preventive behind the scenes in advisory capacity to UWA Australia, the Western Australian Diabetes Research programs nationally; building capacity in Aboriginal health and hospitals, Royal Medical Colleges and other Foundation, the Kellion Foundation, and the Juvenile research by training and supporting Aboriginal scholars (PhDs medical organisations regarding impaired Diabetes Research Foundation. This enabled a single and post-docs); setting up the Australian Research Alliance doctors or staff; introducing the Clinical Ethics voice, Diabetes Australia, to lobby government for for Children and Youth; serving for 12 years on the Prime Program into the curriculum, and teaching support for diabetes in Australia, and led to the Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council with Ethics and Professionalism to medical students; formation of the National Diabetes Services Scheme. increases to NHMRC, early childhood, research infrastructure. member of many ethics committees; member of numerous senior university and Faculty MBBS (WA), PhD (London), FRCP, FRCP. MBBS, MSc (Social Medicine, London), MD (UWA), FFPHM (UK), committees. FAFPHM. MBBS, FRCPsych (Fellow of The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK), FRACGP, FRANZCP, FACRRM.

10 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 1974 1975 1976 1976 Professor Barry Marshall Professor John Newnham AM Professor James McCluskey Professor Terry Nolan AO Nobel Laureate AC Professor of Obstetrics (Maternal Deputy Vice-Chancellor Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, and WA Ambassador for Life Sciences; Fetal Medicine) at The University Research, Chair of Microbiology Head of the Melbourne School of Population University of WA Brand Ambassador; of WA; Head of the UWA Division of and Immunology, Redmond and Global Health, University of Melbourne; Director of the Marshall Centre Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Chief Barry Distinguished Professor, Professorial Research Fellow and Head, for Infectious Diseases Research Scientific Director of the Women and The University of Melbourne; Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group, and Training; Clinical Professor Infants Research Foundation; clinical consultant immunologist, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; in the UWA Faculty of Health and maternal fetal medicine specialist Victorian Transplantation former senior staff specialist (now Honorary), Medical Sciences; consultant at King Edward Memorial Hospital; and Immunogenetics Service, General Medicine, Royal Children’s Hospital, gastroenterologist at Sir Charles Adjunct Professor at Peking University, Australian Red Cross Blood Melbourne; former Chair of the Australian Gairdner Hospital. Beijing, China; and Honorary Director Service. Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at (ATAGI), former Deputy Chair of the National Medical School memories: The Nanjing University, China. Medical School memories: The Health and Medical Research Council’s brilliance and enthusiasm of the great teaching and wonderful Research Committee. science teachers, especially those Medical School memories: My first people. Sitting on the lawns on who taught in anatomy, physiology, Saturday night shift at the Royal Perth the UWA campus. A Friday beer Medical School memories: Many highlights, chemistry and physics. Hospital Emergency Centre - I knew at Steve’s. including my experience in my Bachelor that I had found “my place”. Little was I of Medical Science year studying synaptic Key impact: The microscopic stomach to know that I would later sign up for a Key impact: Clinical ultrastructure both at UWA and on a Sobotka bug Helicobacter pylori affects half career based heavily on night work! immunology, transplantation Fellowship to University of Otago in New the world’s population. It creates an matching, drug hypersensitivity, Zealand; exposure to many superb clinicians enormous yet preventable health Key impact: Contributing to our medical education, basic and academics, and experience as president care burden and endless suffering. understanding that events before birth research. of WAMSS. And on a lighter note, the then It remains a major threat to public have impacts on health and disease Professor of Medicine telling my tutorial group health. While infection rates in throughout the lifespan and that MBBS (UWA), B Med Sci (UWA), MD in late final year not to worry about the exams, Australia are at an all-time low, our preventing disease is best achieved (UWA), FRACP, FRCPA, FAHMS, FAA. because we’d all pass – eventually! nearest neighbours by interventions at their origins. This have very high fundamental concept drove me to Key impact: National immunisation policy and infection rates. conceive and initiate The Raine Study practice; clinical trials of many vaccines now in More than in 1988 and the Western Australian use in Australia and around the world. 500 million Preterm Birth Prevention Initiative in Chinese are 2014 (The Whole Nine MBBS, PhD (McGill University), FRACP infected Months). (Paediatrics), FAFPHM (Public Health Medicine), with the FAHMS. disease. MBBS, MD, FRCOG, MBBS, FRACP, FRANZCOG, FAA, FRS. DDU, CMFM.

1974 1975 1976 1978

1973 1978 Professor Bruce Robinson AM Emeritus Professor D’Arcy Holman AM

Professor of Medicine, The University of WA; consultant Emeritus Professor and Senior Honorary Research physician at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in respiratory Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, medicine; Director, National Centre for Asbestos Related The University of WA; former Chair in Public Health, Diseases; Director, The Fathering Project, UWA. UWA; former Assistant Commissioner Planning, Health Department of WA. Medical School memories: My years in Medical School were a pleasure, as the number of students in our year group was quite Medical School memories: The camaraderie, support small so teaching/mentoring was quite personal. I remember fondly and great humour of our small student group on the hospital living in the nurses’ quarters at King Edward Hospital while we were doing our obstetric wards during the later years of the course. term, plus numerous staff/student cricket matches and Hadley Cup inter-year football club matches (at one of which, I was “taken out” so badly by someone in the year ahead of me Key impact: Reform of WA’s Aboriginal health programs funded by the WA that I thought I would end up in hospital!). I developed a strategy as a student of attending Health Department; leadership and reform of UWA’s animal ethics framework; extra sessions run by the excellent teachers, and not attending at all any sessions run by first successful integration of Federal and State health data to provide a full poor teachers, something which rather bemused my colleagues. That experience also picture of health system performance with positive impacts on medication influenced and improved my own subsequent role as a teacher – I used to always think safety and mental illness; creation of the International Health Data Linkage “how would I teach this if I were given that responsibility?” Network; leadership of WA’s Road Safety Council during implementation of the Toward Zero strategy; world leadership in the training of linked health Key impact: One of my main roles now, in addition to being a respiratory physician, is data analysts; instigator and leadership of the WA Health Data Linkage that of cancer researcher – I never expected to be doing this, but my love of research was System; instigator of WA’s Quality of Surgical Care Program; first chair of the triggered during my doctoral studies in the USA after eight years of intense clinical work. I expert medical advisory panel of Health and Medicine in the West Australian am working on a number of things, including new strategies to use immunotherapy to cure newspaper; reforms to improve WA’s mental health legislation; President of cancer. By the end of this year we expect to start a world-first clinical trial using mutation- the Cancer Council of WA; Australia’s first health consumer advocate within an defined cancer vaccines (“personalised therapy”). I teach a lot, spending a lot of time academic institution; instigator and leadership of UWA’s first undergraduate mentoring medical students. I have enjoyed initiating and running the “How to Break Bad health science degree program; Head of the School of Population Health at News to patients” course over the past 25 years. UWA; first comprehensive strategic plan of the Health Department of WA; plans I have put some of my tropical medicine training to use by volunteering in our region e.g. in for the future development of Perth’s metropolitan hospitals, emergency Aceh after their tsunami and via many other roles throughout Indonesia. I am now Honorary departments and residential care for the young disabled; reforms of WA’s Professor at the University of Indonesia. Community and Child Health Services, NHMRC Public Health Committee and Seeing the statistics on the powerful effects of a strong and appropriate father figure in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; creation of the WA Centre for children’s lives, and the risks that children face if they do not have such, we started the UWA Public Health; better understanding of the causes of malignant melanoma Fathering Project. This group goes out to schools and informs Dads about how important of the skin; Australia’s first official statistics on deaths and illness caused they are and provides some road-tested tips. At each school we initiate a Champion Dads by tobacco, alcohol misuse and illicit drugs; new programs in the areas of Group. Our vision of having one in every school in Australia within five years will have a Aboriginal environmental health, HIV and hepatitis B control, childhood spectacular effect on subsequent drug addiction, crime, bullying, teenage depression and immunisation, breast and cervix cancer screening, and the regulation of suicide and a host of other health and social parameters. reproductive technology.

AM, MBBS, MD, FRACP, FRCP, DTM and H, FCCP, CitWA. MBBS, LLB(Hons), MPH(Harv), PhD, GAICD, FACE, FAFPHM, FPHAA, FAIM.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 11 1980 1980 1988 Professor Graeme Hankey Clinical Associate Professor Liz Wylie Professor Susan Prescott

Professor of Neurology, Medical School, Faculty of Medical Director and Program Professor of Paediatrics in the School of Medicine at Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Manager of Breast Screen WA; Head The University of Western Australia; paediatrician and Australia; consultant neurologist, Sir Charles Gairdner of Department of Radiology at Royal immunologist, specialising in allergy at the Perth Children’s Hospital; Clinical Trials Advisor, Harry Perkins Institute of Perth Hospital; consultant radiologist Hospital; Founding Director of the ORIGINS Project at the Medical Research; Research Affiliate, Perron Institute for with a special interest in breast Telethon Kids Institute; Founding President of the DOHaD Neurological and Translational Science; former consultant imaging; Clinical Associate Professor, (Developmental Origins of Health and Disease) Society neurologist and Head of Stroke Unit, Royal Perth Hospital. teaching final year University of WA in Australia and New Zealand; Founding Director of the medical students when they are inFLAME Global Network. Medical School memories: Enduring friendships with rostered to RPH Radiology for their fellow students and teachers. final year. Medical School memories: My fondest memories were really from the knowledge that my grandfather, Sir Stanley Key impact: Leading large collaborative international Medical School memories: Studying Prescott, was the former Vice-Chancellor of The University clinical trials of interventions to treat and prevent stroke and taking coffee breaks with a bunch of Western Australia who founded the Medical School in (e.g. VITATOPS, AFFINITY, ROCKET AF, CHARISMA, ESPRIT, of mates in an assortment of libraries 1957 - and how proud my grandmother was. My inspiration IST, IST-3, AMADEUS, NAVIGATE-ESUS), and epidemiological - in first year in the Engineering to study medicine came from my grandmother, one of the studies of the incidence, causes and outcome of stroke (e.g. library, in second and third year in the few women to study medicine in the 1930s and my love of PCSS, ACROSS, HIMS, INTERSTROKE) that have translated Biological Sciences library, in fourth research and academia was inspired by my grandfather. into improved health policy and outcomes for patients and year in the Reid Library, in fifth year in the community. the Princess Margaret Hospital and Key impact: I am a passionate advocate for social change Associate editor of Stroke (2000-2010) and Circulation Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital libraries and adopting a holistic approach to life. I have authored (2016-) – journals of the American Heart Association; and in sixth year the PMH, King Edward more than 300 scientific publications and a number of editorial consultant for The Lancet and The Lancet Memorial Hospital and SCGH libraries. books: The Allergy Epidemic – a Mystery of Modern Life, The Neurology (2005-); and consulting editor for the Calling, Origins - Early Life Solutions to the Modern Health International Journal of Stroke and Cochrane Stroke Group. Key impact: I feel privileged to Crisis, and The Secret Life of Your Microbiome: Why Nature Author of 10 books (most recent is Hankey’s Clinical have been able to work for so long and Biodiversity are Essential to Health and Happiness. Neurology, 2nd ed., 2014) and more than 775 peer-reviewed in the public sector and I believe My interests and expertise are focused on early life risk journal articles with more than 74,000 citations (H-index: my contribution as a clinician has factors for inflammation as an antecedent and preventive 108). been to promote and develop breast target for a broad range of noncommunicable diseases More than 550 invited lectures at 320 cancer screening in WA and facilitate (NCDs), particularly early onset NCDs such as allergy, international, 130 national, and improvements in breast imaging, obesity and mental health. Former Director of the World 100 local scientific meetings. encouraging and supporting my peers Allergy Organisation. Consecutive NHMRC program and trainees. grant funding since 2003 MBBS, PhD, FRACP. (to 2021). More than $70 MBBS, million in competitive FRANZCR. research grants: $10 million - international grants, $60 million - national grants ($57 million NHMRC, $3 million other), $ 2 million - local grants.

MBBS, MD, FRCP, FRCPE, FRACP, FAHA, FESO, FAAHMS. 1980 1981 1988 1993 2002 1980 Professor Peter Leedman 1981 1993 Dr Richard Dr Rosalie Schultz Professor of Medicine, The University of Western Australia; Pestell Director of Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and PhD candidate Head of Laboratory for Cancer Medicine at the Perkins; at Flinders Chairman of Linear Clinical Research Ltd; endocrinologist at University, Royal Perth Hospital; Chairman of Sylvia and Charles Viertel working through Foundation Medical Advisory Committee; Member of NHMRC President, the Centre for Research Committee; former Director of Research at RPH; Pennsylvania Remote Health; former Director of Translational Research at the Perkins. Cancer and former Senior Medical Regenerative Officer in NT Government Medical School memories: The comradery and enjoyment of learning Medicine Center; former Special Department of Health Remote Health medicine in a collective. Advisor For Innovation to President Services and at Central Australian Aboriginal Thomas Jefferson University; Congress, Remote Health Branch; former Key impact: In clinical medicine, my PhD which was focused on the cause of Graves’ former Executive Vice President Director of Medical Services at Anyinginyi disease, further fuelled by my post-Doctoral studies on understanding how thyroid Thomas Jefferson University; former Health Aboriginal Corporation. hormone works at the molecular level and followed up with papers from the Busselton Founding Director Delaware Valley population study in which we made significant contributions to thyroid antibody levels Institute for Clinical and Translational Medical School memories: the structured and the prediction of disease. Science; former Director, Sidney approach, based on chemistry and physics, In science, my laboratory has discovered new factors that regulate expression of nuclear Kimmel Cancer Center; former then biochemistry and physiology, anatomy, receptors such as the androgen receptor in prostate cancer and estrogen receptor in Director Lombardi Comprehensive microbiology and pharmacology. We had breast cancer. We have characterised some microRNAs into potential therapeutics in Cancer Center. almost no patient contact until fourth year. several solid tumours with a poor prognosis, including liver, head and neck and colon This approach to medicine has served me cancer, together with melanoma. We have several patents on some discoveries and have Medical School memories: The well, despite being radically different from established a company, miReven, for commercialisation of the work. We are working excitement and enthusiasm of the current approaches. I remain inspired by towards an early phase clinical trial in patients with liver cancer. educators. great teachers from The University of WA A very active role in teaching, with multiple Honours and PhD students, and in clinical including Fiona Stanley, who has provided teaching within the UWA Medical School system and the hospital post-graduate Key impact: The establishment the basis for my career in Aboriginal and environment. of medical facilities, educational public health, the late Konrad Jamrozik and As Director of Perkins, I lead a world class research organisation and am very involved with materials, educational and training D’Arcy Holman. the community in a range of education programs as well as our Biodiscovery Laboratory, programs, and funding sources which provides a STEM program of teaching to school children and the community. which continue to provide patients, Key impact: Challenging what I see... getting As Chairman of Linear Clinical Research Ltd, an early phase clinical trials facility, I have including minority and LGBT, with better things happening, from how we helped build the company from inception into a world class facility that brings new access to health care including the conceptualise the epidemics of diabetes in medicines to the WA public earlier than ever before. Capital Breast Care Center. relation to climate change to demonstrating Together with Professor Peter Klinken and the Perkins Board I played a central role in the the need for vaccination programs. design, building and delivery of the two iconic Perkins research buildings in Perth. MBBS, MD, PhD, MBA. I have served on numerous committees, locally, nationally and internationally, focused on Postgraduate Diploma in Bioethics (Monash), research investment, strategic planning, grant reviewing, policy development. Master of Public Health (NT University), FAFPHM, FRACGP, FARGP. MBBS (UWA), PhD (University of Melbourne), FRACP, FAHMS.

12 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 2002 2007 2014 Emeritus Chancellor, Clinical Professor Alex Cohen AO Emeritus Professor Lou Landau AO Dr Hsern Ern Tan Hon. D. Litt. (UWA) 2002 Hon. D. Litt. (UWA) 2007 Junior doctor at Sir Charles Gairdner Clinical Professor of Medicine, The University of WA; Emeritus Emeritus Professor, The University of Hospital and Hollywood Private Chancellor, UWA; Emeritus consultant physician Royal Perth WA; former Principal Medical Advisor, WA Hospital; PhD student at Ear Science Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital; former consultant Department of Health; former Dean of the Institute Australia and The University of physician and endocrinologist RPH and SCGH; former Director Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, UWA; former WA School of Surgery; Westpac Future of Clinical Training at Hollywood Private Hospital and Director of Professor of Paediatrics, UWA and paediatric Leaders Scholar. Postgraduate Medical Education at SCGH. respiratory physician, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. Medical School memories: Overseas Medical School memories: The many years spent in teaching small medical elective to Kisiizi, a remote groups of medical students in a mutual learning experience and the Medical School memories: Communication, village in Western Uganda, which was time spent in training and learning from my interns and registrars. support and care between staff. Collaborative an eye-opening and recalibrating research. Relationships with the community at experience. Key impact: I hope that my key areas of impact as a clinician have all levels. been to influence and render memorable our meetings around Key impact: I completed the SPARK the bedside over the years and, occasionally, in the lecture theatre Key impact: Maintaining and possibly Co-Lab medical design course and and meeting rooms, for consideration of new advances in general extending the high standards of care and successfully worked with a team to medicine and endocrinology. As a public and after-dinner speaker, commitments to all colleagues and the WA create a patented device that aims I hope that I have left traces of insight into some of the highlights, community as set up by my predecessors. to lower the incidence of ventilator- fads, fancies and fun of medical practice. As a practising physician, When I was still in Melbourne and was president associated pneumonia in ICU. My PhD I am proud to have founded, with my late wife Adèle, the Diabetes of the Paediatric Research Society of Australia, will investigate how we can repair Research Foundation in 1998 and in 2000 having materially brought I had a call from Bill Macdonald to say that chronic tympanic membrane (eardrum) about the raising of $3M to establish the Chair of Diabetes at UWA, he “had a new researcher coming to the perforations through the combination currently located at the Perkins Institute. In 2004 I raised the finance next meeting. Could I help look after her and of 3D printing technology and optical for the creation of the Professorial Walk honouring the Foundation introduce her to others? She may do some great coherence tomography. Professors of the Faculty of Medicine. The bas-relief sculptures of the things. Her name is Fiona Stanley.” Professors were crafted by sculptors Charles and Joan Walsh-Smith. Setting up Telethon Institute for Child Health MBBS (Hons), current PhD student, Finally, as President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Research and the Harry Perkins Research Diploma in Music Performance (AMusA in 2000-2002 I am proud to have been very involved in the formation Institute. and DipABRSM). of the Society of Internal Medicine, stressing the Facilitating the Raine Research Study into the importance of the General Physician in the whole origins of health and disease from conception structure of medical practice. As Chancellor of to adult life. UWA I have striven to bring Medicine in out of Communicating with the cold and back onto the campus. government for support. MBBS (Hons) University of Adelaide, MD Communicating University of Adelaide, FRACP, FRCP, FRCPE, with the FRCPI, Hon. D. Litt. (UWA). community.

MBBS, MD, FRACP, Hon. D. Litt. (UWA).

For an article written by Clinical Professor Cohen on Dr Bruce Hunt, who played a role in the foundation of the Medical School, go to: http://members.racp.edu.au/page/library/college-roll/college-roll-detail&id=437 1993 2002 2005 2007 2009 2014 2016

2005 2009 2016 Dr Michael Winlo Dr John van Bockxmeer Clinical Professor Harvey Coates AO Chief Executive Officer at District Medical Officer, MD (Doctor of Medicine, Linear Clinical Research; Hedland Health Graduate Research Higher former Health Team Lead Campus, WA Country Degree) UWA at Palantir Technologies in Health Service. Silicon Valley. Clinical Professor in Medical School Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Medical School memories: memories: The comradery Surgery, and School of Paediatrics Professor Paul McMenamin in Rocky of final year studies, bonding and Child Health at The University of Horror garb at the Medical School play “The through social events and being inspired by WA. Former senior ENT surgeon to Princess Margaret Smooth Operator”. senior clinicians. Hospital for Children. Former Clinical ENT lead to Kimberley WA Country Health Service. Key impact: Taking an entrepreneurial Key impact: Advancing the field of rural attitude to the challenge of accelerating medicine through research in the Pilbara Medical School memories: At my medical school the delivery of new therapies to patients. region. Providing long-term sustainable and I’m sure it is the same at UWA, the privilege More specifically, using technology and data healthy lifestyle change through my charity of helping look after patients and learning the to overcome organisational/institutional “Fair Game Australia”. wonderful way in which the human body functions constraints. and occasionally malfunctions. MBBS, FACRRM, DEM, MPH/TM, DCH. MBBS (Hons), MBA (Stanford). Key impact: The four key areas in which I hope I helped the WA and Australian community was by being co-founder of the first paediatric ENT Society in Australia; starting with an audiology colleague the first large scale newborn hearing program in Australia; clinical and basic research in otitis media in Aboriginal children; and my involvement with Thank you to our charities such as Telethon Kids Institute, Lions Hearing Foundation, Earbus Foundation and EON alumni and friends who Foundation.

volunteer for more than MBBS (UQ), MD (UWA), MS (Otol) Minn, FRACS, FRCS(C), 1,370 volunteer roles in DABO. support of our students during the year.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 13 Then and Now What was the Medical School like in its infant days – and how does it compare now? To get a feeling for it, we asked a student, a teacher and a researcher from the early era and also from the present day for their reflections.

Perth. Although in his teaching days he “Frequently, in those ancient days of Teacher then was strict with his students, it wasn’t as medicine, we would find something that bad as Adelaide when he was a student, was not what the clinician had thought it he says. “When we went to the lecture was. But nowadays, with radiology, they theatre, the lecturer was usually a are usually 99 per cent correct in their clinician in private practice who would diagnoses.” come in, we’d all stand and all have to hand in a button with a number showing Emeritus Professor Walters gained his we were there – it was compulsory to be Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1959 but at every lecture.” stayed with pathology, becoming a senior lecturer, reader, acting Head of After graduation he returned to Perth and Department and then Chair in the early later specialised in pathology. He was 1970s. appointed as a lecturer in pathology at UWA, teaching the students in a former He was to become Executive Dean of the cancer ward at Royal Perth Hospital Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry from which, with some additions, became the 1980 to 1983 and again from July 1989 to centre of the UWA clinical medical school December 1991. with teaching laboratories and rooms for pathology and microbiology and He looks back on his days of the Medical medicine. School with great fondness. “It was fantastic. The professors stuck together “All the teaching was done at RPH for and worried about each other. Emeritus Professor Max Walters - then. several years and we all used to lunch together, have tutorials together, and “In the first 20 or 30 years of the What is going on inside have clinico-pathological conferences,” doctors, who are now the seniors in the he explains. profession, we had first class people and a body and a bottle I have put myself in their hands many, “A lot of the teaching was done in that many times.” Emeritus Professor Max Walters recalls way. It was co-ordinated teaching with that as a lecturer in pathology he walked the physicians and surgeons. It was, I out on his medical students twice – and it think, quite brilliant.” was to make a point. As well as the formal lectures, tutorials The lectures for The University of WA were held which made use of a fine Medical School were formal, with the museum with beautifully mounted students seated at the front. “Usually specimens. “We used these so-called the students were quiet. Only on two bottles with the organs in them to discuss occasions, much later in my career, I not only the pathology but the clinical walked in and all the students were implications of what was going on inside talking and talking and they didn’t stop… that bottle,” Emeritus Professor Walters so I walked out. Well, they stopped says. talking.” “It was similar with autopsies. Someone His point was that students need to learn would present the clinical story and the respect because they are privileged to be prosector would then show the organs to learning to become doctors with other the students and explain the pathological people’s lives in their hands. “You should changes. show respect for your teachers and for your colleagues and even more for your “It was a fantastic learning experience patients,” he says. about disease and even health because you went into healthy tissue as well. You He had graduated from the University can read about it in a book but when you of Adelaide in the class of 1954, having actually hold a diseased organ in your completed the first year of the MBBS in hand and you see it, it is alive. Emeritus Professor Max Walters - now.

14 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 Then and Now What was the Medical School like in its infant days – and how does it compare now? To get a feeling for it, we asked a student, a teacher and a researcher from the early era and also from the present day for their reflections.

Part of this process is Continuing Dr Helen Wilcox Teacher now Professional Development after specialisation. Learning how, not The methods of teaching have what, to think also changed, responding to the pressures on the teaching hospitals and clinical training Teaching medical students these days environments resulting from an focuses on helping them with how to increasing number of medical think and how to learn rather than what students. to think and what to learn. The evolution has been from In other words, says Dr Helen Wilcox, very small group clinician- Senior Lecturer in General Practice, they led groups to medium group are being shown how to be self-directed teaching as well as self-directed learners. learning and using junior medical staff to deliver some of the “One of the skills we can teaching. In addition, students best equip our students are often spread across many teaching hospitals and clinics with is the ability to sort and can be brought together for through and assimilate tutorials via video-conferencing. and prioritise all the “That’s quite popular with the different sources of medical students because they don’t have to brave the freeway,” Dr education and select Wilcox says with a laugh. what has the most robust evidence base behind Modern technology has popped it and what’s the most up in many other scenarios. It is relevant to their clinical commonplace to see students with iPads in class and although workspace. they are expected to attend lectures for the benefit of face- “We are teaching them how to-face and interactive learning, to educate themselves they can usually revisit the online as opposed to just giving recordings in their own time. them all the education The “flipped classroom” is an extension well as from allied health professionals,” packaged for them.” of the focus on interactive learning, Dr Wilcox says. “An example would be if whereby students will have studied the students are learning about stroke, Vertical integration is one of the main the content before the lecture, freeing they hear not only from the stroke teaching themes by which science- up time for the lecturer to elaborate physician and neurologist but they hear based learning in parallel with clinical on it and answer questions. There are from a physiotherapist, an occupational learning – including clinical reasoning, also workshops, skills laboratories, therapist and a clinical nurse specialist diagnosis formation and understanding bedside teaching, and simulation with about the holistic care of a stroke “how doctors think” – are introduced “virtual patients”. In fact, alumni often patient.” from the beginning and continue assist by acting as the “patients” to throughout the four-year Doctor of enable medical students to practise Dr Wilcox is also a practising GP and WA Medicine (MD) post-graduate course. their history taking, examination and Censor for the RACGP. diagnosis skills. “We are very conscious now that medical learning is a lifelong process Inter-professional learning is also and, in fact, one of our course outcomes deemed important. “In the pre-clinical is for our students to be committed space, students learn from clinicians in to lifelong learning,” Dr Wilcox says. various hospital-based specialties as

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 15 Then and Now

The students Student then formed close friendships as only about 17 from about 120 had passed the first year of basic sciences in 1954. “We used to help each other,” Dr Raiter says. “I Dr Ike Raiter and some of his colleagues were in the press when they were fifth year was very close to medical students. From left, they are Charles G. Picton-Warlow, Bryant A. R. Stokes, Tim Bryant Stokes and Welborn, and Isaac Raiter. Tim Welborn.” in ophthalmology, Professor Saint told The Medical School was based near him, “Oh Ike, you must go to Moorfields”, Royal Perth Hospital in a small building Dr Ike Raiter which was the most famous eye hospital in Victoria Square. “It was very exciting in the world. “Having such experienced for us because we were there, on the world-wide professors, we were prepared Never looked back job,” Dr Raiter says. They were rotated to take their advice,” Dr Raiter says. through the hospital’s departments but for Paediatrics they went to Princess “When I graduated and came back to When Dr Isaac (Ike) Raiter achieved Margaret Hospital and for Obstetrics and West Australia, there were not many excellent marks in his final year school Gynaecology to King Edward Memorial people who were prepared to work at exams, everyone expected him to study Hospital, where they delivered a good Princess Margaret Hospital so I dedicated medicine or law. number of babies. my time there.” He also worked at King And although he was keen to follow Edward Memorial Hospital and one of “We seemed to have a lot more practical his special areas became retinopathy of medicine, in those days there was work to do in the wards than they do now prematurity. “I had learnt the techniques no Medical School in WA so it meant because we had smaller numbers,” he in London and I continued on with that. It travelling interstate to study. “I had lost observes. In the Emergency Department, was a big part of my career.” my parents when I was a teenager and I they assessed patients and performed had a younger brother and I didn’t want some minor procedures such as suturing. As a consultant, Dr Raiter also taught to have to go away and leave him,” he medical students when they did their explains. “That’s why I studied optometry In fifth year they were each given a project hospital terms. and didn’t do medicine at the end of my by Professor Eric Saint, the Foundation Leaving.” Professor of Medicine, to investigate. He stopped operating when he was 70 “This took us out into the community as and “fully retired” three years ago at the With a Diploma of Optometry from the well as being in the hospital,” Dr Raiter age of 81. University of WA in hand, he later was says. His assignment took him to the law able to pursue his desire to do medicine. courts. “The one I was given was about In 2013, Dr Ike Raiter was awarded a He was in the class of medical students recidivism. I didn’t even know what the Meritorious Service Award from the Royal who, in 1959, were the first to graduate word meant!” Australian and New Zealand College of with a West Australian degree, having Ophthalmologists for meritorious service undertaken their first, fifth and sixth years When Dr Raiter excelled in his final or performance of duty to the College, at UWA and the second, third and fourth year exams, won a Commonwealth medicine, ophthalmology, education, years in Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney. Scholarship, and decided to specialise research or the community.

The young Ike Raiter was one of only two who went to Melbourne and felt proud to represent WA there. “I was lucky in that I was granted a prosector in anatomy because I had some of the top marks in anatomy and that was in competition with all the competitive people of Melbourne so I was quite proud of being West Australian.”

He says it was wonderful to return to Perth in fifth year. “We felt we were lucky to get in and proud that West Australia had a Medical School and we appreciated that there was an appeal and that West Australians had to donate to get it going.

“We were also very pleased to have the new Professors. They were all very Dr Ike Raiter and his graduating classmates of 1959 celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2009 at the Weld exciting, dedicated people and they all Club. They were the first medical students to graduate with a West Australian degree. They were: had very interesting past histories that Back row: Dr John Hanrahan, Dr David Formby, Dr Terence McAuliffe, Clinical Professor Timothy Welborn, Dr they could relate to when they were Mashie Levi, Dr Neil Fitch. Front row: Emeritus Professor Con Michael, Dr Owen Isbel, Dr Nicholas Kraw, Dr Ike Raiter and Adjunct Professor Bryant Stokes. Dr Malcolm Hay (inset photo). teaching us.”

16 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 Then and Now

that’s probably what Student now was happening 10 years ago,” Ms Didactic out, Marantelli says. “Then they say if you read a digital in journal, that is what was happening 2-5 Being a medical student these years ago by the days looks largely like this: “flipped time the study gets classrooms”, online resources, published. So if you podcasts, open access medical want the real cutting- education, video-conferencing and edge, what is going on small-group learning. right now, you have to use a lot of online resources. Ms Shannon Marantelli, who was in the first intake of the postgraduate four- year Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree “It is a in 2014, describes the life of a modern movement student. towards free She says a lot of work went into open access converting the course from the medicine, undergraduate six-year MBBS degree to so that is the new MD degree, including holding focus groups for input from past MBBS podcasts, students. and people who read all Ms Shannon Marantelli Having completed a Biomedical Science the articles for you and degree from UWA in 2006, she worked and you actually get quite a decent in pathology in WA, then in a cancer bio- condense them down into bond with them and it is a little mini- bank in Melbourne and later a cancer little reviews because there friendship group,” Ms Marantelli says. research laboratory there, returning is just an overwhelming to Perth to take up her Medical School In 1962 there were 33 students who place. amount of data out there.” were the first to do all six years of their MBBS at UWA, last year there were There is a lot more focus now on self- Although many university lectures are 253 graduands. Ms Marantelli says directed learning, on the students being recorded and can be accessed online, this means that the student teams in adult learners, Ms Marantelli explains. it is preferable to turn up in person hospital rotations are getting bigger and because you can ask questions, she Rather than receiving didactic teaching, it can be difficult to get patient exposure says. “And it’s always nice when the they are expected to complete pre- and to contribute during ward rounds. Faculty goes to the effort of getting reading and access resources and then us really decent speakers who are turn up to the lecture or tutorial with a A key innovation is the Preparation for renowned physicians or surgeons or certain level of background knowledge, Internship block which will be run at the whoever they be that they can look out facilitating questions, clarification and end of this (fourth) year for two months, and see more than a handful of people. elaboration. This teaching strategy is during which time the students will be dubbed “the flipped classroom”. attached to a hospital team and act as “Once we’ve gone into clinical years in interns, doing ward rounds and so on the hospitals, the university is really “It encourages you to think more on in preparation for becoming interns in great and they do video-conferencing. your feet and encourages a lot more January. They have a set time for our lectures and discussion and debate among the you just have to go in whichever hospital With the inevitable pressures of a students,” she explains. “I think it does you’re at to the room that’s set up for four-year medical degree, Ms Marantelli save quite a bit of time and is more you. You don’t have to travel back to admits it can be stressful to try to fit effective for the tutors than just sitting campus. Everyone just dials in and then everything in. “You need to exercise, there and teaching you, telling you contributes via video-conference.” something and you’re writing it down.” cook dinner, study, sleep, and you’ve got to try to see your friends and family, so For small-group learning in the first three it’s a lot of juggling.” The second big change is the use of semesters, students are divided into online resources. “When I did biomed, groups of 8-15 with a tutor each. “That But, she adds, there is still some time the textbooks weren’t that out of date becomes your group for the semester but nowadays if you read a textbook, left over to have fun and party.

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 17 Then and Now localised to his interests as it would When some Medical School departments have to be, with no real technology. But I relocated from RPH to the QEII campus Researcher then think the cultural attitude for the Medical in 1983, RPH appointed more clinical- School towards research was really set level professors through UWA. Some of by those good appointments at the the “real gems” of researchers included beginning.” Professors Roger Taylor in Cardiology, Lawrie Beilin in Medicine, and Byron Professors including Dick Joske in Kakulas in Neuropathology. Medicine, Bernard Catchpole in Surgery and Neville Stanley in Microbiology, Allen By 1980, research had become far more German in Psychiatry, Bill Macdonald sophisticated. “It wasn’t the individual in Child Health and Max Walters in professor with a couple of research Pathology all had good personal research students doing it, it was ‘let’s solve major records. “To some extent, they were problems,’ and that meant a rapid growth overwhelmed by the teaching needs in technology and also a critical mass for without too many lieutenants, and also each research group to be competitive,” by their very big clinical role, so I think Professor Constable says. their research once they came to the Medical School reflected their personal “The pioneer who first recognised that in interests and it was not corporate with the State without any question was Byron big teams – it was still individualised,” Kakulas.” He showcased his research Professor Constable says. and sought public funding and went on to found the Australian Neuromuscular “Most of the research appeared to me Research Institute in 1982. in the 70s to be done by the pre-clinical Professor Ian Constable with the first laser professors and their teams.” He cites Obtaining research grants was another installed at Royal Perth Hospital in 1976. Professors Wilf Simmons and Evan matter and has always been difficult. Morgan in Physiology, David Curnow “People never have enough money but in Biochemistry and James Paterson it’s not always right that everybody in Pharmacology as great researchers. should get fully funded, they’re not all A Evolution of “They recruited high quality students grades,” the professor says. “Research who did PhDs with them and I think that’s is elitist and competitive and you can’t researchers from where the critical mass of laboratory apply equity principles to medical scientists came from.” research.” one to all Other prominent early researchers, many Professor Constable is renowned globally of whom were NHMRC Fellows, included for his research and has received about Research has changed from Clinical Associate Professor Ted Keogh 30 Australian and international awards being individual-centric to being in Endocrinology, Ray Johnstone in for his services to medicine and the wider conducted increasingly by large Physiology, Professor Valerie Alder who community. He was made an Officer of research consortiums, says eminent became Deputy Director of the LEI, and the Order of Australia (AO) in 1988 for ophthalmologist and researcher Frank van Bockxmeer in Biochemistry. service to medicine, particularly in the Professor Ian Constable. “It was really those NHMRC Fellows who field of ophthalmology. put research on the map in Western “The evolution of medical research in WA Australia, in my view, because they as everywhere else has been driven by became competitive, and nationally and the increasing demands of government internationally established by way of and the public to translate medical reputation,” Professor Constable says. research into benefits,” he explains. “That was not always so, you could By 1983, Professor Constable had just research on some rare disease and founded the Lions Eye Institute and was publish new papers.” the Foundation Director of UWA’s Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The new way means a more corporate setting with shorter time frames, “I went out and recruited people who more collaboration nationally and had just got a PhD in basic sciences and internationally, and increasingly then set them up and helped them to get sophisticated technology. established working with the eye. Our model was to back young PhDs and they When Professor Constable began his own almost without exception came from the research in Perth in 1975, having come pre-clinical sciences or from microbiology over from Harvard Medical School, a or pathology within the Medical School.” leader who stood out was the University of WA’s Foundation Professor of Medicine The model was hugely successful and Eric Saint. Professor Constable has been credited with the fact that by the early 1980s “He set the Medical School going, at ophthalmology had become the largest least in his area, with a lot of opportunity research consortium in UWA surgery, with for students to do research from the the majority of national research funds beginning.” Professor Constable recalls. for surgery going to his specialty. He Professor Ian Constable “It tended to be, in today’s terms, very remained Director of the LEI until 2009.

18 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 Then and Now Researcher now Research clinically, not scientifically, driven now

Modern researchers need to be creative from that, not the other way around. It’s when they apply for funding because clinically driven rather than being more of the new emphasis on translational scientifically driven. They want to drive research, says Dr Werner Jaeger. the clinical aspect to try to improve patient care, which is vitally important.” Gone are the days when basic science studies addressing medical issues He says while translational medicine could attract grants – now the potential is important, basic scientific research clinical outcomes must be shown, he needs to occur as “you need to have adds. a delicate balance”. But researchers need to adapt to how funding priorities Dr Jaeger speaks from personal change and inevitably to what society experience. He started out with a prioritises with limited funding available, Bachelor of Science degree with he advises. Honours and moved into benchside research, attaining his PhD from UWA in He is taking his own advice. “I want to 2011 under the supervision of Professor develop my skills in clinical research. Karin Eidne and Associate Professor I want to become someone who sits Kevin Pfleger. He was investigating a in the middle between carrying out particular neurohormonal system in benchside medical research and the brain, the orexin system, and how addressing the needs in the clinical Dr Werner Jaeger it can be regulated or targeted in three environment. For example, if a physician key areas – the regulation of sleep/ or surgeon has an important clinical wake cycles, energy metabolism and question, how can we integrate medical addiction. and clinical research to bring better outcomes for patients. At the moment He followed up by doing two years this area isn’t very well catered for.” of post-doctoral work with Associate Professor Pfleger at the Harry Perkins Research has evolved in other ways over Institute of Medical Research and the decades, he says. “It seems to be a then embarked on the four-year lot faster-paced. I think that is a result of Help with grant postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) the technology improving and our ability degree at UWA and is now in the final to generate data a lot quicker.” year. Realising the importance of having applications It is also now very multidisciplinary. “In expertise in clinical research, he chose clinical and benchside research, that’s to undertake a clinical study for his certainly something that’s become a The Consumer and Community Health research option during his MD degree lot more prevalent,” Dr Jaeger says. Research Network can support you in and has been working with Clinical “There’s no longer a single person planning for consumer and community Associate Professor Shripada Rao, involved in studies.” For example, his involvement in your grant application. consultant neonatologist at Princess latest study involved a neonatologist, a Margaret Hospital. Already Dr Jaeger has neurosurgeon, a pathologist, resident We can give you advice on developing presented some findings at conferences medical officers and himself. a plan and budget for involvement in Perth last year and published an activities. We also provide a service to original research article this year. “And it’s not only at one site, research find consumers or community members collaborations for current projects to review your application to make sure “Your targets are changing,” he says, typically occur at multiple sites the language used is easily understood, explaining that a significant problem nationally around the world,” he adds. comment on the involvement aspects of when he was approaching the end of “That’s certainly how it’s changed the research and provide other additional his PhD and applying for grants, the from 60 years ago. Again, we’ve got comments. We also offer training National Health and Medical Research better technology, better abilities to workshops on consumer and community Council goals were a lot more clinical. communicate with each other now so involvement. You can find details for the “The vast majority of research is moving that makes research generation and next workshop on our website towards a clinical-based outcome communication a lot easier.” in the medical research area. The http://www.involvingpeopleinresearch. focus is no longer looking at how, for His love of research stems partly from org.au/find-out-more/future-events- example, certain receptors operate at a the challenges. “At the same time, it’s physiological level, but how they can be knowing you could have an answer to trainings or http://bit.ly/IPIRevents pharmacologically targeted for better something in the end. You just have to clinical outcomes. find the way to work out a problem.”

“Funding bodies want a clinical problem addressed and research data developed

MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 3 | September 2017 | 19 MBBS graduates 6064

• 1957, first intake of medical students • 1963, 10 MBBS graduates (8 male, 2 female) • 2016, 254 MBBS graduates (139 male, 115 female) • Indigenous graduates 6 in 2016 • Rural Clinical School Sites 14

In 1957, 1: 1100 ratio of doctors to WA population In 2017, 1: 289 ratio of doctors to WA population

• Nobel Prizes - 2 : Professor Barry Marshall plus co-awardee Emeritus Professor J. Robin Warren, who was awarded an Honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine, UWA • Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - 2 • Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - 8 • Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - 37 • Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - 11 • Rhodes Scholars - 11

Donations to the 1957 Medical School Appeal: Total £400,000 Contact us Student Guild street appeal £10,000 Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences The University of Western Australia (equivalent of $450,000 today) M500, 35 Stirling Highway Crawley WA 6009 Australia WA community £400,000 Tel: +61 8 6457 3928 (equivalent of $18,000,000 today) Email: [email protected]

Population of WA in 1957 639,000 Executive Dean: Professor Wendy Erber Head of Service Delivery: Dr Jan Dunphy Editor/Writer: Cathy Saunders

All stories by Cathy Saunders We welcome contributions, photos, Design: Jacinta Gall | Printer: UniPrint, The University of WA feedback and anecdotes. Please email the editor at: Thanks to the Development and Alumni Relations team for their great help for this production. [email protected] Update your details at alumni.uwa.edu.au/update or email [email protected] or call 0403 813 830

20 | MeDeFacts | Volume 23 Number 1 | March 2017 CRICOS Provider Code: 00126G