Professor Jeff Szer | 2025 recipient

Professor Jeff Szer is a clinical haematologist working full-time at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He obtained his FRACP in 1979, originally specialising in Medical Oncology, but soon recognised that clinical haematology was his true passion. He completed a fellowship in bone marrow transplantation in Seattle from 1982 to 1984, and upon his return, established Victoria’s first BMT service at The Alfred in 1984. He later moved to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1993, where he continues to practice today.

Professor Szer has been a passionate advocate for research-driven therapeutic development and has served as the principal investigator on numerous trials across various areas. Over the past 20 years, he has gained expertise in ultra-rare diseases. In addition to his work in transplantation, he dedicates significant time to the fields of PNH and Gaucher disease. He continues to serve as the committee chair for the World Marrow Donor Association, having previously been its president, as well as the former president of the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Additionally, he chairs the Scientific Committee of Stem Cell Donors Australia.

His current work on the Board of the International PNH Interest Group is both exciting and often keeps him up at night, particularly as they initiate an academically driven global registry and develop guidelines. Locally, he recently completed a 26-year term on the editorial board of the Internal Medicine Journal, having served as Editor-in-Chief for the past 20 years. Over the years, he has authored 442 papers.

Professor Pamela McCombe | 2024 recipient

Professor McCombe graduated from the Medical School of the University of Queensland.  She trained in Neurology at Prince Henry/Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, and then obtained a PhD from the University of Sydney.  This was the start of her interest in Neuroimmunology . She's currently Neurologist at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research.

Her research interests encompass autoimmune diseases of the nervous system as well as immune response to acquired diseases of the brain.  She has published on multiple sclerosis and its animal models, inflammatory neuropathies, motor neurone disease and myasthenia gravis. She has a special interest in the role of gender and of pregnancy in neurological and immune disease. She's past President of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists and of Neuroimmunology Australia.

Professor Roger Reddel AO | 2017 recipient

Professor Roger Reddel is the Director of Children's Medical Research Institute (CMRI) and Lorimer Dods Professor, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.

A medical graduate of the University of Sydney, Roger trained in medical oncology and was admitted to Fellowship in 1985. He further completed a PhD in cancer cell biology and undertook postdoctoral research in molecular carcinogenesis at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

On returning to Sydney, Roger set up a lab at CMRI to study cellular immortalisation, an almost-universal characteristic of cancer. He has made many discoveries regarding the enzyme telomerase upon which 85% of cancers depend for their growth, and the alternative mechanism utilised by many of the remaining 10 to 15%. The aim of this research is to develop new forms of cancer treatment.

Roger was awarded the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research and the NSW Premier's Award for Outstanding Cancer Researcher, and elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

Professor Michael Hofman | 2024 Recipient

Michael Hofman from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre was ranked as the top nuclear medicine physician for 2025 in The Australian Top 250 Researchers.

His notable career includes leading landmark research in prostate cancer, including two investigator-led Australian trials that contributed to the global adoption of PSMA PET/CT, a new whole-body cancer scan, and PSMA radioligand therapy, a targeted treatment (The Lancet, 2020 and 2021).

He has published over 300 papers and secured more than $50 million in grant funding in the past decade. He's also an editor for The Journal of Nuclear Medicine and European Urology and enjoys teaching and mentoring the next generation of researchers, currently supervising four PhD candidates.

See past Eric Susman Prize recipients.

Dr R. Kishore Kumar | 2025 recipient

Dr Kishore Kumar is a global neonatologist with experience in India, the UK, the USA and Australia. He trained as a paediatrician in India, completed specialist training in the UK, and earned his Fellowship in Neonatal Intensive Care (FRACP) in Australia. He was recognised early in his career as one of the youngest and most highly qualified neonatologists in the world.

In 1996, Dr Kishore became a naturalised Australian citizen. He recently completed an Executive MBA in Health Care Delivery at Harvard Business School in Boston, USA.

A lifelong leader, Dr Kishore returned to India to found Cloudnine Hospital. The hospital was born from his belief that "pregnancy is a wellness, not an illness," and that no mother should die during childbirth. Through Cloudnine, he has significantly improved maternal and neonatal care standards in India—realising a vision for safer, higher-quality care.

Dr Kishore has received numerous honours for his work, including a felicitation by former US President Bill Clinton, the Leaders of Tomorrow Award from the Indian Health Minister, the Pride of Karnataka Award and the Australian Excellence Award.

Dr Jim Croker | 2024 Recipient

Dr Jim Croker has worked as a rheumatologist and general physician in Tamworth since 1988, both at Tamworth Hospital and in private rooms.  He has provided a rheumatology service for a large area of northwest NSW. As well as a focus on clinical work, he has enjoyed supervising and teaching medical students, resident medical officers and medical registrars.

He's currently a conjoint lecturer at the University of New England, a member of the Senior Examining Panel of the RACP and Secretary to NSW Rheumatology Heads of Department. Living in Tamworth has enabled a rich involvement in a rural community and has provided a great environment to bring up his 4 children.

Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan

Associate Professor Catherine Quinlan is an Irish academic paediatric nephrologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne.

Dual-trained in general paediatrics and nephrology, she holds multiple postgraduate qualifications including an MD(Res), MSc in Medical Education and an MBA. Her research spans kidney genomics, early disease detection, cardiovascular disease and implementation science. She established Victoria’s state-wide kidney genetics service and currently leads the Kidney Flagship at MCRI.

A passionate educator, Catherine sees research and teaching as twin pillars of progress in child health, deeply intertwined with clinical care. Mentoring is not just part of her professional ethos—it’s part of her self-definition and one of the most meaningful aspects of her career. She has walked alongside students, trainees and PhD candidates, celebrating their successes as deeply as her own.

For Catherine, mentoring is an act of care and belief in others, rooted in trust, empathy and the quiet joy of helping someone grow—combined with the infectious energy of shared discovery, purpose and possibility.

A/Professor Stephen Bacchi | 2025 recipient

Stephen is a neurologist with interests in clinical research, artificial intelligence, and education. His PhD focussed on clinical applications of machine learning in stroke and general medicine.

In 2024, Stephen undertook a research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship. He has >250 peer-reviewed publications across a range of medical and surgical specialties. Stephen plans to use pragmatic research, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, to improve patient outcomes across multiple specialties throughout Australia and internationally.

He strongly believes that people at all levels of seniority, and background, can contribute to the advancement of science and medicine. Stephen values diverse multidisciplinary collaboration and always enjoys discussing new and exciting ideas.

Dr Jack Evans | 2022 recipient

Jack Evans is a proud Wiradjuri man who graduated from the University of Wollongong in 2015 with a Bachelor of Medical and Health Sciences and the University of Sydney in 2020 with a Doctor of Medicine. He is currently working as a resident medical officer at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and is a conjoint associate lecturer at St Vincent’s Hospital Clinical School at the University of New South Wales.

He has submitted research in sex differences in baseline characteristics and efficacy of heart failure therapies and is aiming to do more research within cardiology. Jack is interested in sex equality and equality of health care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, which was a major factor in pursuing a career in medicine.