Royal Australasian College of Physicians gives top paediatric award to University of Sydney academic

19 December 2005

David Henderson-Smart has been awarded the 2005 Howard Williams Medal for his contribution to paediatrics.

The Medal is presented each year by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in recognition of a person who has made an outstanding contribution to paediatrics and child health in Australia or New Zealand.

The winner of the Award is asked to give a special oration at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the RACP. David gave an address on ‘Clinical networking to enhance patient care and research’. This oration summarized his contribution in establishing collaborative programs such as the NSW Pregnancy and Newborn Services Network, an interdisciplinary collaboration to improve patient care; the development of a health services research group (CPHSR) integrated with the clinical network within New South Wales; and the development of the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) Neonatal Network to improve cross-Tasman clinical care and research through collaboration.

David is Director of the Centre for Perinatal Health Services Research (CPHSR) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney. He holds the Foundation Chair of Perinatal Medicine and has joint professorial appointments in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and the School of Public Health.

David is recognized internationally for his neonatal physiological research and clinical perinatal trials and is currently leading a team, funded by the UK Wellcome Foundation and the National Health and Medical Research, to build research capacity in South East Asia.

Photo caption: Professor David Henderson-Smart shows his medal to staff (left to right) Lindy Dixon, Sandie Bredemeyer and Adrienne Gordon in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.