David de Kretser Medal and Lifetime Achievement Medal Presentation Ceremony

December 06, 2006

The Faculty is pleased to announce the establishment of two awards which acknowledge individual’s contributions to the Faculty and to medical science generally. The David de Kretser Medal and the Lifetime Achievement Medal were awarded at an inaugural presentation ceremony on December 6.

Named in honour of Professor David de Kretser, whose links with the Faculty stretch back to 1969 when he received his MD from Monash, the David de Kretser Medal will be awarded annually to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to any area of the faculty’s operation over a significant period of his or her working life.

The Lifetime Achievement Medal will be presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution - nationally and internationally - to human health and well being.

Dean of the Faculty, Professor Ed Byrne said he was pleased to be able to acknowledge the dedication of talented people in such an auspicious way, and was delighted that Faculty Board had agreed to name one of the medals in honour of David de Kretser.

“David has been one of the Faculty’s most significant contributors in a field comprising many talented academics, researchers and practitioners”, he said. “He has had a long and productive association with the Faculty spanning more than three decades and he has been one of our most prolific, pioneering researchers. His groundbreaking work on human reproduction and development and his tireless efforts as director of the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development (MIRD) and more recently Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) have given a special legacy to our Faculty community.

I can think of no more appropriate person, one who so aptly epitomises the spirit expressed by this award, than David de Kretser, which is why we are so proud to name the award in his honour”.

The inaugural recipient of the David de Kretser Medal is Professor John Murtagh, a graduate of the first MB BS class in 1966, and a teacher and mentor to successive generations of students who followed him. Professor Murtagh’s many accomplishments include exceptional contribution to the education of general practitioners and author of the seminal text General Practice. Although in retirement, he is still active in the Department of General Practice and continues to deliver the general practitioners update course annually.

The inaugural Lifetime Achievement medallist is Professor Fiona Stanley, whose passion for the health and well-being of children, and her drive for providing children a healthier future, have earned her the distinction of being the first Lifetime Achievement medal recipient. Professor Stanley’s many achievements include the foundation directorship of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and the discovery of the role of folic acid in preventing spina bifida in babies. Professor Stanley was voted Australian of the Year in 2003 and was awarded the AC in 1996.

The Faculty congratulates both worthy medal recipients.