AMA Awards 2008 - Gold Medal
AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, last night bestowed the organisation's highest honour on a Western Australian doctor who is a vocal advocate for the needs of children and their families.
The AMA Gold Medal winner for 2008 is Professor Fiona Stanley, who was named Australian of the Year in 2003.
Dr Capolingua announced Professor Stanley's award at a gala dinner in Hobart last night, as part of the AMA's National Conference.
Dr Capolingua said that Professor Stanley has been recognised for her outstanding contribution to the practice of medicine, medical research and child health.
"Professor Stanley is renowned for her work on the socio-economic detriments of child health - with more than 200 published papers in scientific journals," Dr Capolingua said.
"Her career has focused on the importance of using population data and research to provide significant health, social and economic benefits to the community. Her research work involves conducting and supervising studies in maternal and child health," she said.
In 2004, Professor Stanley was honoured as a "National Living Treasure' by the National Trust. She is also the UNICEF Australian Ambassador for Early Childhood Prevention.
Professor Stanley is the founding Director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research that was established in Perth in 1990 to conduct research into the prevention of major childhood diseases.
She teaches at the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia.
Professor Stanley was unable to attend the ceremony to accept her award.
Past recipients of the AMA Gold Medal include:
Dr Bruce Dalway Shepherd (1993)
Dr Bryce Phillips (1994)
Dr Brendan Nelson (1995)
Dr Gustav Nossal (1997)
Professor Barry Marshall (2006)
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