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Professor Tony McMichael was made an Honorary Fellow of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK, on March 7. The citation noted, in relation to the awarding of “this highest honour the School can bestow”, Prof McMichael’s role “as one of the world’s leading epidemiologists, and major contribution to our knowledge of the impact of environmental factors on human health.”  In late 2008, Prof McMichael was also formally appointed as Honorary Professor in Climate Change and Human Health at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark – a sister university with the ANU in the International Association of Research Universities (IARU)

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Gabriele Bammer continues in her role as a member of the International Advisory Board for the Dutch heroin treatment trials. The Central Committee in the Treatment of Heroin Addicts (CCBH) which has overseen the trials was established in December 1996 by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sports. CCBH conducted two randomized controlled trials, which showed a positive outcome, leading to the official registration of heroin as a medicinal product by the Dutch Medicine Evaluation Board. Heroin is now prescribed in 17 special treatment units across the Netherlands under the responsibility of the CCBH. The CCBH is now preparing an evaluation of this development, in preparation for a change in the law slated for 2010, which will allow heroin treatment to continue as a routine treatment in the health care system of the Netherlands . The International Advisory Committee will convene in the Netherlands in March 2010 to review the evaluation.

NCEPH PROFESSOR WINS DISTINGUISHED AWARD

Gabriele Bammer received the Ertas Transdisciplinary Scientists and Engineers Award, which recognises distinguished achievement in transdisciplinary science and/or engineering as evidenced by contributions to transdisciplinary education and/or research with the use of creative and innovative methods and visionary leadership. Professor Bammer was presented with the award in June at the 11th World Conference on Integrated Design and Process Technology, Taichung, Taiwan – where she also gave a keynote address, "Do We Need a New Discipline to Document and Transmit Problem-based Learnings?"

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HOURGLASS CEILING: MOTHERS' CAREERS SQUEEZED - media release

Australia 's long-hours culture is much more likely to disadvantage the careers and wellbeing of mothers than fathers because of persistent inequalities around how family time commitments are shared, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) suggests.

“Career success tends to be a product of merit and, nowadays, the time to work long hours. Australia has some of the longest full-time work hours in the OECD,” says Dr Lyndall Strazdins, an expert in work-life balance issues from NCEPH.

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ANU ENTERPRISE LAUNCHES AusReady

AusReady is in search of individuals with qualifications and professional experience in a range of relevant disciplines including animal and human health, laboratory and clinical operations, epidemiology, health systems, social sciences, capacity development, environment and natural resources, information systems and project/program management, to work on short- and long-term projects within Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. AusReady Advisors may undertake planning, feasibility study preparation, design, capacity building, training, project management, evaluation, and research assignments.

AusReady will be tasked by Australian Government agencies to undertake assignments. The Australian Government is already helping countries such as Indonesia , Papua New Guinea , East Timor and those in the Mekong build their preparedness, surveillance and response capacities. This support has included placing epidemiologists (some of whom are graduates of NCEPH's MAE Program) in WHO country offices.

We encourage ANU academics, researchers, field staff, and graduate students to visit the AusReady website, http://www.ausready.org.au for more information on who we are, what we do, and details on how you can participate in our activities. You can also email our Facility Officer at nm@anuenterprise.com.au for our eligibility criteria and application forms.

Website: http://www.ausready.org.au

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LINKAGE PILOT PROJECT GRANT

Lorrae van Kerkhoff and Associate Professor Paul Kelly have been awarded an ANU Vice Chancellor's Linkage Project Pilot Project grant. This grant is to start up a new research program in Knowledge governance, where they will work with colleagues from the University of New South Wales and researchers in Timor Leste to investigate how global institutions affect the use and application of local expertise. See the 1 page summary of the pilot project here .

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NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Prof Tony McMichael, one of several ANU scientists working with the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has won a small share in this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. The prize has been awarded jointly to Al Gore and to the IPCC for their work in raising awareness of the science and significance of global climate change and its impacts. Over 1500 scientists from around the world have contributed to the recent Fourth Assessment Report of IPCC. Tony McMichael has been involved, since 1993, as a chair and senior reviewer of the health impacts assessment chapter, in the second, third and fourth reports.

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AUSTRALIA FELLOWSHIP AWARD

Professor Tony McMichael has been awarded four million dollars to do research on the links between climate change, environmental factors and human health.

Professor McMichael has been named as an Australia Fellow by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). This means he'll receive $800,000 annually in research funding over the next five years.

Media Release