In 1967, I was training in diabetes at the Alfred Hospital. I was puzzled by a patient with intestinal lymphangectasia with low blood calcium and severe life-threatening tetany totally unresponsive to calcium therapy. While on leave and working the skiing patrol at Falls Creek, listening to the Farmers’ Hour on the radio, the penny dropped! During a discussion on 'grass tetany' in local cows, magnesium treatment was mentioned.

Dashing back to Melbourne, I arranged a blood magnesium for the patient and it was incredibly low. After magnesium replacement, the tetany ceased and serum calcium rose. My first publication followed in the British Medical Journal — and I carried the acceptance letter around for months!

While working at the Alfred Hospital and about to take the next year to finish my physician training at that hospital in what I thought would be an exciting role as the inaugural registrar for the new Monash Department of Medicine, serendipity changed my whole medical future.

I was told by my boss, Professor Pincus Taft that I had been summoned by Professor Bryan Hudson, Monash Professor of Medicine at Prince Henry's Hospital, that I must go and see him. Professor Hudson, who later became president of the RACP, told me in no uncertain terms that I was coming to work for him at Prince Henry's as his senior registrar and that was that! His mentorship and advice changed my career and life and I owe much to him for the subsequent course of my career opening up the importance of working in medical research balancing a career in clinical medicine.

As I recall, I failed the MRACP examination a number of times finally passing on the third attempt. I will never forget the joy of passing and the beginning of a career that opened up the world to me.

Biography

I am Professor of Diabetes, Monash University and formerly Director Emeritus, Baker (International Diabetes Institute) Heart and Diabetes Institute. In 1984, I founded and was director of the International Diabetes Institute until its merger with Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in 2008.

I am Honorary President, International Diabetes Federation. I have international recognition in diabetes and obesity research and in epidemiology. My epidemiological studies in the Pacific Islands charted and predicted the current global type 2 diabetes epidemic. These led to me being called the Captain Cook of Diabetes.

I have published over 1000 papers and am listed in the 2015 and 2016 Thomson Reuters The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds. I am also listed in Clarivate Analytics 2018 Highly Cited Researchers, a list of researchers with highly cited papers ranking in the top 1% for a publication field and year.

I co-edit the widely used International Textbook of Diabetes Mellitus and The Epidemiology of Diabetes, now in its 3rd edition.

I graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1965. I then trained at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne with Pincus Taft and Harald Breidahl. I also trained at Prince Henry’s Hospital under Bryan Hudson (RACP President, 1982 to 1984). A Monash PhD followed under the supervision of Joseph Bornstein before a year at Guys Hospital, London thanks to a RACP Travelling Fellowship.

My career from there is best described in the 2009 Medical Journal of Australia series The Power of One. The article was entitled A lifetime pursuit of diabetes through chance.

Awards and honours

• Kelly West and Harold Rifkin Medals (American Diabetes Association)
• Kellion Award (Australian Diabetes Society)
• Banting Award (Diabetes UK)
• Peter Wills Medal from Research Australia recognising an Australian scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to building Australia’s international reputation in medical research
• Order of Australia (AM) for distinguished services to medicine and education, particularly in the field of diabetes (1993)
• AM Cohen Memorial Award and Lecture, EASD (Jerusalem, 2000)
• Officer of the Order (AO) for medical research of national and international significance, particularly in diabetes, and for contributions to Australia’s biotechnology development (2001)
• Hellmut Mehnert/German Diabetes Union Award, EASD (Munich, 2004)
• Grand Hamdan International Prize for Medical Sciences (Dubai, 2010 and 2013)
• Delivered the Howard Florey Oration honouring the Nobel Prize recipient and great Australian scientist (2015)
• Senior Victorian Australian of The Year (2018)

I was Program Director for the 2013 World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne, at that time the largest medical congress ever to come to Victoria. And I am an International Member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Medicine.I was co-chair of the National Diabetes Strategy Advisory Committee for the development of the 2016 to 2020 Diabetes Strategy.

I have great pride from the fact that my two sons, Hendrik (cardiologist) and Marcel (paediatrician) are RACP Fellows as are my sister Rena, and brother Leon, both cardiologists.