Testimonials
Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer AC
Chair, TRI Foundation
The University of Queensland
PAH Campus
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Medal 2011
I am delighted to hear that this year is the 20th Anniversary of the David De Kretser Medal and of the Lifetime Achievement Medal, awarded by Monash University
I am especially pleased that the medals are this year awarded to Professor Stephen Jane AO and Professor Kathryn North AC, both exceptionally worthy of these awards.
Awards in health and medical research are of particular importance at this time when so much concern is voiced in public about the quality of health care. Award winners have a unique opportunity to remind governments and the community of the benefits of health and medical research, and the current years awardees are exemplars of what can be achieved in the public arena.
Keep up the good work!
Professor John Bertram
Winner of the David de Kretser Medal 2024
Being awarded the David de Kretser Medal in 2024 was unquestionably one of the highlights of my career. I had previously received awards from a number of scientific societies and academies, but the de Kretser Medal is awarded by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences on the recommendation of the Faculty Executive. In other words, it is an award from your peers, which, to me, makes it particularly special.
The award recognised my leadership of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology over nearly 20 years, as well as my contributions to kidney research, which helped establish the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences as a world leader in the field.
Some of the highlights of my time leading the department included broadening our research focus into developmental biology, introducing Australia’s first BSc major in developmental biology, and establishing the Centre for Human Anatomy Education. It was particularly satisfying to see Monash grow into an international leader in kidney research.
It is also worth remembering that David de Kretser himself was a highly successful Chair of the Monash Department of Anatomy for 13 years. After serving as Governor of Victoria from 2006 to 2011, David returned to the department as an Adjunct Professor. He liked to call me “boss” — which, of course, we both knew was completely the wrong way around!
Emeritus Professor Warwick Anderson
Winner of the David de Kretser Medal 2007
Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Medal 2017
How surprised I was to be awarded each of these two wonderful Monash awards! How honoured I felt!
David De Kretser had been a much-admired colleague, friend and sparring partner during my 10 years at Monash. That decade was a wonderful time for me personally, a time of great change for the Faculty and the start of the School of Biomedical Sciences.
When, another decade later, Chris Mitchell told me that I was to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, I had mixed emotions initially. I was totally delighted with the news of course but also wondered whether I truly deserved it. - I had always seen my jobs were to help others achieve. At Monash, my hope was that my biomedical colleagues and I would set the newly formed School on its subsequent road to outstanding achievements. At NHMRC, my aim was to reform its policies and practices to fund the best researchers and research via the best possible peer review, funding vehicles, strategies and ethics. As Secretary-General of the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization, I aimed to make sure that this unique international collaboration in science grew and was prepared for its fourth decade of funding outstanding research (35 HFSPO awardees have now gone on to win Nobel Prizes ).
I am truly honoured to listed amongst the distinguished recipients of these two Faculty awards.