Pioneers in mental health, climate and ageing lead UNSW recipients of Australia Day Honours

Current leaders of discovery and distinguished past figures at UNSW Sydney have been awarded Australia Day Honours.

Academics from Science and Medicine lead the list of UNSW Sydney alumni and staff recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Scientia Professor Helen Christensen FASSA FAHMS, the Executive Director at the Black Dog Institute and a Professor of Mental Health at UNSW, has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for “distinguished service to medical research through the development of online mental health treatment programs”. Professor Christensen is an international expert on the prevention of depression and suicide, spearheading the use of digital, smartphone and online technology in the prevention of mental illness. Her ground-breaking work in Australia in the early 2000s generated vast international research efforts incorporating academia, business, clinic and community, culminating in the global expansion of mental health services and interventions. 

Professor Andrew Pitman, director at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia “for distinguished service to science as a leading researcher, particularly of climate systems and the environment”. The award recognises his visionary leadership and significant contribution to climate research in Australia and internationally. For the past 15 years, Professor Pitman has worked to transform the way climate science works – from competitive silos to a collaborative science community focused on national and global outcomes. Professor Pitman is an internationally recognised expert on terrestrial processes in global and regional climate modelling, model evaluation and earth systems approaches to understanding climate change. As a lead author for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Reports 3 and 4, he was recognised for his contribution by the award of a Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC in 2007. Professor Pitman’s current research at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes focuses on the processes that trigger extreme weather events and building this understanding into climate modelling systems.

Professor Peter Schofield FAHMS, the CEO of Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and Professor of Medicine at UNSW, has been recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia “for distinguished service to medical and scientific research in the field of neuroscience, and to professional institutions”. Professor Schofield has dedicated his life to research and discovery in the field of neuroscience, with a focus on ageing and neurodegeneration, specifically dementia and mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. Professor Schofield has inspired and challenged researchers to break new ground to find cures for brain disorders in Australia and globally. He has worked in the biotechnology industry and in academic medical research institutes in the US, Germany and Australia. He started his current role as CEO at NeuRA in 2004. In 2015, Professor Schofield was appointed as a foundation member of the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR) Expert Advisory Panel, having played an important role in advocacy on the Boosting Dementia Research Initiative to the then federal minister for health.

Other UNSW community members recognised in this year’s honours include:

Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Mr Carrillo Baillieu Gantner, Honorary Doctorate of Letters, UNSW, 2006. “For eminent service to the community through professional involvement in, and philanthropic support for, the performing and visual arts, and to Australia-Asia cultural exchange.”
• The late Emeritus Professor Patrick Nicol Troy, Visiting Professor, City Futures Research Centre, Faculty of Built Environment, NSW, 2008-2018. “For eminent service to urban and regional planning, to environmental sustainability and social justice policy, and as a mentor and role model.”

Officer (AO) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Mr Philip Marcus Clark, Director, Garvan Foundation Limited, 2005-2008. “For distinguished service to education, to research and infrastructure investment, and to the not-for-profit sector.”
• Ms Ann Gabrielle Madden, Community Engagement and Liaison Officer/Research Assistant, Centre for Social Research in Health, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney. “For distinguished service to community health, as an advocate for the disadvantaged, to policy development, and to human rights.”
• Professor Kate Moore, Director, Pelvic Floor Unit, St George Hospital; Conjoint Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For distinguished service to medicine, and to medical research, in the field of urogynaecology, and to professional groups.”
• Ms Jillian Shirley Segal, Deputy Chancellor UNSW since 2010; Council Member UNSW since 2008; Director, Garvan Institute of Medical Research since 2009; Deputy Chair, Garvan Institute of Medical Research; member, Finance, Risk, Audit and Nominations committees; member, Audit and Risk Committee, and the Financial and Remuneration Committee; board member, UNSW Foundation. “For distinguished service to the banking and financial regulation sectors, to not-for-profit organisations, and to women.”
• The Honourable Margaret Ackary Stone, Visiting Professorial Fellow, Faculty of Law, UNSW Sydney. “For distinguished service to public administration, particularly to national security, to the judiciary, and to legal education.”

Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia

• Professor Robert Cornelis Augusteyn, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Science, UNSW Sydney. “For significant service to vision science and eye health research.”
• Dr Milton Laurence Cohen, Conjoint Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For significant service to medical education in the field of pain management.”
• Professor Afaf Girgis, Director, Psycho Oncology Research Group, South Western Sydney Clinical School, UNSW Sydney; Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For significant service to medicine, and to medical education, in the field of cancer control and psycho-oncology.”
• Mr Peeyush Kumar Gupta, Member, Dean's Advisory Committee, Business School, UNSW Sydney. “For significant service to business, and to the community, through governance and philanthropic roles.”
• Professor Maria Kavallaris, Head, Tumour, Biology and Targeting Program, Children's Cancer Institute; Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney; Founding Co-Director, Australian Centre for Nano Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For significant service to medicine, and to medical research, in the field of childhood and adult cancers.”
• Emeritus Professor Michael John Knight, Director, Centre for Groundwater Management and Hydrogeology, UNSW Sydney, 1987-1991; Lecturer and academic, UNSW Sydney, 1974-1991. “For significant service to scientific education, particularly to hydrogeology and groundwater management.”
• Professor Richard Krever, Research Associate, Taxation, Business and Investment Law Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, 1987-1992. “For significant service to legal education, to taxation law and policy reform, and through advisory roles.”
• Dr Paul Angus Lancaster, Director, AIHW National Perinatal Statistics Unit, UNSW Sydney, 1997-2001; Conjoint Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, 2001-2004. “For significant service to community health, particularly to perinatal and paediatric medicine.”
• Ms Karen Maree Livingstone, Ambassador, The Garvan Research Foundation. “For significant service to community health as an advocate for ovarian cancer research.”
• Ms Anne Martin, Director, Aboriginal Education Program, UNSW Sydney, 1991-1999; Member, Human Rights Board, UNSW Sydney, 1992-1999. “For significant service to the Indigenous community, and to higher education.”
• Mr John Menzies McMurtrie, philanthropic supporter, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research. “For significant service to the community through philanthropic initiatives, and to the finance industry.”
• Professor Judy Agnes Raper, Founding Director, Centre for Particle and Catalyst Technologies, Department of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney; Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, 1995-1996; Acting Dean, Faculty of Applied Science, UNSW Sydney, 1997. “For significant service to higher education through a range of roles, and to engineering.”
• Mr Michael Anthony Reid, former board member, Garvan Institute of Medical Research; Director, Policy and Practice Program, The George Institute for Global Health, 2002-2004. “For significant service to the community through government and not-for-profit health roles, and to Indigenous welfare.”
• Mr Timothy James Sims, Life Governor, Garvan Institute of Medical Research; board member, The Garvan Research Foundation, 1992-2004. “For significant service to the community through philanthropic initiatives.”

Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division

• Dr Ahmad Alrubaie, Conjoint Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For service to the Iraqi community of Sydney.”
• The late Dr Neil Francis Bright, former Director, Medical Studies, Rural Clinical School, UNSW Sydney; former Director, Border Medical Training Hub, UNSW Sydney; former Head of Campus, Albury-Wodonga Campus, Rural Clinical School, UNSW Sydney; former Conjoint Associate Professor of Surgery, Rural Clinical School, Albury-Wodonga, UNSW Sydney. “For service to medical education, and to the community of Albury-Wodonga.”
• Lieutenant Colonel David Jonathan Deasey RFD (Retd), Commanding Officer, University of NSW Regiment, 1995-1997. “For service to community history.”
• Mrs Esther Leah Gans, volunteer interviewer, Undergraduate Admissions, Medicine and Education, UNSW Sydney. “For service to the community.”
• Professor David Mace Greenburg, Conjoint Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. “For service to medicine in the field of mental health.”
• Lieutenant Colonel John Howells RFD (Retd), website publisher and administrator, University of NSW Regiment Association. “For service to community history.”
• Mrs Bridget Mary Lee, campaigner and Chair, Endowment Committee, Chair of Irish Studies, UNSW Sydney. “For service to the Irish community of NSW.”
• Mrs Susan Ann McCullough, member, Consumer Advisory Panel, Translational Cancer Research Network, Lowy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney. “For service to community health.”

UNSW congratulates all the members of its community who received 2019 Australia Day Honours.

The full lists of recipients are available at the website of the Governor-General.

Full list of UNSW Sydney alumni recipients.