MNHS researchers, former staff and alumni recognised in King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List
Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences researchers, former staff and alumni are among over 800 people recognised in the King’s Birthday 2025 Honours List, released today by the Governor-General. The Honours and Awards system is an opportunity for the nation to celebrate and acknowledge those who work tirelessly to improve local communities and to make Australia a better place.
Congratulations to the following recipients, including:
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
Emeritus Professor Michael Abramson - For significant service to medicine as a respiratory physician and as a researcher
Professor Abramson was the Deputy Head of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine from 1993 to 2019 and Principal Investigator for the Hazelwood Health Study, a ten-year study of the long-term health effects of the Hazelwood mine fire event from 2014 to 2023. Professor Abramson was a Visiting Medical Officer in Allergy, Immunology and Respiratory Medicine at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne (1995-2015), and was appointed Honorary Medical Officer in Allergy, Immunology & Respiratory Medicine at the Alfred upon his retirement from clinical practice. Professor Abramson’s research program covers the epidemiology of asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including genetic and environmental risk factors such as air pollution and occupation, and the role of spirometry in managing these conditions. He is also a Monash medicine alum (1979).
The late Adjunct Professor Murray Johns - For significant service to sleep medicine and research
Professor Johns joined the first cohort of medical students at the newly founded Monash University and graduated as part of its inaugural class of medical graduates in 1966. In 1969, he established the first sleep laboratory at Monash University, housed within the Department of Surgery. As a clinical physiologist, he spearheaded three major lines of research: investigating sleep disruption in post-operative delirium, developing detailed questionnaires on sleep habits, and studying the relationship between hormone secretion and sleep stages. His pioneering work earned him a PhD in Physiology from Monash University.
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
The late Dr John Dyson-Berry OAM - For service to medicine as a general practitioner
Dr John Dyson-Berry was an Adjunct Professor in the School of Rural Health from 2003 to 2024 and a general practitioner in Mildura and Wentworth.
Dr David Iser OAM - For service to medicine as a general practitioner
Dr David Iser is a Senior Lecturer and former Head of the School of Rural Health. He is a GP at Foster Medical Centre and was named the Victorian Rural Doctor of the Year in 2008.
Dr Margaret Niemann - For service to medicine as a general practitioner
Dr Niemann was a facilitator of Indigenous health workshops between 2010 and 2024 and a Sessional Tutor from 2005 to 2022 in the School of Rural Health.
Associate Professor Jeffrey Lefkovits OAM - For service to medicine as a cardiologist
Associate Professor Jeffrey Lefkovits is a cardiologist specialising in coronary interventions, with a strong commitment to clinical practice, research and public health. He is a researcher in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, as well as the Clinical Director and Registry Project Lead of the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry.
Professor Marie Yap OAM - For service to psychology
Professor Marie Yap is a professor and psychologist with expertise in parenting and youth mental health. Her research interests lie in increasing understanding of specific family processes and the mechanisms by which they influence young people's mental health and translating existing research evidence into credible, accessible resources for parents to help them reduce their child's risk of developing mental health problems. She is the lead investigator of the Parenting Strategies program, which has been developed to provide parents with actionable strategies endorsed by research evidence and the consensus of international experts to help parents support their child's mental health.
Alumni recipients
Professor Skye Mcdonald AO - For distinguished service to clinical neuropsychology and to research into social cognition disorders after traumatic brain injury. Bachelor of Science (Hons), Psychology (1975)
Professor Jodie McVernon AO - For distinguished service to medical research, in the field of epidemiology and infection prevention, to tertiary education and to public health. MBBS (Hons), BMedSc (Hons) (1994)
Professor Lisa Amir AM - For significant service to women’s health, particularly breastfeeding research and support. MBBS (1981)
Professor David Scott AM - For significant service to anaesthesia and pain medicine. MBBS (1979)
Dr Stephen Bolsin OAM - For service to medicine as an anaesthetist. Master Health Service Management (1999)
Associate Professor Carol Douglas PSM - For outstanding public service in palliative medicine. Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (1998)
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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