College and Congress

John Sands Medal

Professor Gregory CrawfordProfessor Gregory Crawford | 2021 recipient

Professor Gregory Crawford is a long-standing contributor to the RACP. He has been involved with the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM) Education Committee for 8 years and currently has an ongoing 5-year involvement with the AChPM, which included his Presidency from 2018 to 2020. Gregory is currently on the RACP Council and has also held several other College positions. He has advocated for palliative medicine and has collaborated with many stakeholders to ensure optimal care is provided for all in our communities.

In every facet of his professional career, Gregory has demonstrated outstanding commitment to being a physician. His work at the University of Adelaide shows his dedication to teaching and learning. Gregory's Presidency of the AChPM, as well as other positions with peak state and national palliative care bodies, highlight his advocacy for better care for vulnerable members of our society. His innovation is evident in his research activities and in his achievement of integrating palliative care into the undergraduate curriculum.

Gregory has inspired many trainees, Fellows and College staff to strive for more through his mixture of gentle encouragement, humour and wisdom.

Past recipients

2020 | Professor Stephen Clarke OAM
2019 | Not awarded
2018 | Professor John Wilson
2017 | Associate Professor Michael Hooper
2016 | Dr John O'Donnell

2015 | Professor David Isaacs
2014 | Dr Stephen Buckley, Dr David Burke, Dr Ki Douglas, Dr Paul Frankish, Dr Johan Morreau, Professor George Rubin, Dr Roger Tuck
2013 | A/Professor Peter Gow, Dr Robin Chase, Dr Anne Robertson, Dr Robert Gillett, Dr Catherine Yelland, Dr Leo Buchanan
2012 | Dr William Stone, Professor Michael South, Professor David Forbes, Professor Don Roberton, Dr Ann Gillett
2011 | Dr Glenys Arthur, Professor Elizabeth Elliott, Dr Bruce Hocking, Professor Craig Mellis, A/Professor Peter Procopis, Professor Ian Scott, Dr Geoffrey Robinson, Professor Brian Darlow
2010 | Dr Peter Greenberg, Dr Wilma Beswick, Dr Balakrishnan Nair AM, Dr David Russell, Dr Martin Searle
2009 | Dr Timothy Bohane, Dr Andrew Rosenberg, Dr Richard Wigley
2008 | A/Professor Richard Chye, Professor Richard Day, Professor Richard Jones, A/Professor Stephen Judd, Professor Peter van Asperen
2007 | Professor Louise Baur, Professor Peter Le Souëf, A/Professor George Skowronski, Dr Andrew Wilson
2006 | Dr Ion Alexander, Professor Dale Fisher, Clinical Professor Trevor Parry, A/Professor Paul Torzillo AM
2005 | Professor Edward Byrne, Dr Peter Holst, A/Professor Frederick Khafagi, Dr Ralph Pinnock, Dr Raymond Raper
2004 | Dr Alan Kerr, A/Professor Jeffrey Prebble OAM
2003 | A/Professor Ivan Donaldson, Dr Maxwell Morris, Professor Frank Oberklaid OAM, Professor Peter Ravenscroft, Dr George Salmond, Professor Neville Yeomans
2002 | A/Professor George Abbott, A/Professor Alexandra Bune, Professor Suphachai Chaithiraphan, Dr Jonathan Douglas, Dr Norman Marinovich, Dr John McNamara, Professor Nicholas Saunders
2001 | Professor John Court, Professor Ian Holdaway, Dr Peter Kennedy, Dr Peter Leslie OBE, Dr Rosie Tse-Tse Young
2000 | Professor Peter Brooks, A/Professor Richard King, Dr Michael Rice, Professor Ian Simpson
1999 | A/Professor Barry Colls, Dr Michael Loughhead, Professor Graham Macdonald, Professor Peter Phelan
1998 | Professor Donald Chisholm, Dr John Learmonth OAM, Dr Michael Quinlan, Dr Alan Walker AM, Dr Gregory Whelan
1997 | Dr Thomas Ferrier, Dr Peter Martin, Dr Peter Rothwell
1996 | Dr David Henderson, Dr Russell Clark, Professor John Horvath, Professor Michael Pain
1995 | Dr Owen Harris, Professor Colin Johnston, Dr Patricia Morey, Dame Norma Restieaux, Dr Paul Roy, Sir David Todd
1994 | A/Professor John Buchanan, Professor Peter Castaldi, Professor Chin Chew Hin, Professor Judith Whitworth
1993 | Professor John Duggan, Dr George Hall, Sir David Hay, Dr William Heath, Dr Marshall Luke
1992 | A/Professor Richard Burns, Dr John Greenaway, Professor John Scott, Dr John Stokes, Dr James Tiernan
1991 | Dr Gaston Bauer AM, Dr John Freeman, Dr Robert McLellan, Professor John North
1990 | Dr Ian Hislop, Dr Roderick Kater, Professor James Lawrence
1989 | Professor Donald Beaven, Dr James Gardiner, Dr R Turnbull, Dr Malcolm Watson
1988 | Professor John Beveridge, A/Professor Peter Ebeling, Professor Barry Firkin, Dr Bryan Gandevia, Dr Gavin Glasgow, Professor John Hunter, Professor Richard Joske, Dr Thomas Robertson
1987 | Not awarded
1986 | Dr Brian Billington, Dr John Landreth, Dr Richard Mulhearn, Professor Eric Saint, Dr Alan Skyring
1985 | Dr James Clarke, Dr John Fitzwater, Dr John Tweed, Sir Ian Wood
1984 | Dr John Billings, Professor Charles Blackburn, Dr Josiah Bonnin, Dr Maurice Clarke, Sir Edward Ford, Dr Harry Garlick, Dr Charles Riley


College Medal

robert-walkerProfessor Robert Walker | 2023 recipient

Professor Robert Walker has made substantial contributions to achieving optimal kidney health for all through his international leadership efforts with the International Society of Nephrology and Asia-Pacific Society of Nephrology to improve kidney disease awareness, early detection and appropriate management, as well as equitable access to kidney care (particularly in the Pacific Islands and in vulnerable and disadvantaged populations).

His bench to bedside research has generated high certainty evidence that has informed international best practice guidelines in kidney care. He has been a strong advocate of high quality education and training in Nephrology and has developed innovations in clinical practice that have improved appropriate referral of people with kidney disease to specialist kidney care.

Past recipients

2022 | Professor Susan Davis AO
2021 | Professor Roderick MacLeod
2020 | Professor Douglas Bridges
2019 | A/Professor John 'Will' Cairns, Professor Stephen Clarke OAM, Dr Jurriaan de Groot
2018 | Professor Judith Savige
2017 | Not awarded
2016 | A/Professor Sanghamitra Guha, A/Professor Susan Moloney, Professor Robert Michael Whitby

2015 | Dr Peter Chauvel, A/Professor Alasdair MacDonald, Dr Barry Taylor
2014 | Not awarded
2013 | Not awarded
2012 | Not awarded
2011 | Dr Peter Colville
2010 | Dr Wing Cheong Chan, Dr Rufus Clarke, Dr Noel Hayman, Dr Thomas Woolard
2009 | Dr Katherine Brown, Dr Vernon Hill, Dr Garry Pearce
2008 | Dr Joseph Sandanam
2007 | Not awarded
2006 | Dr Alexander Cameron, Dr Gabrielle Collison
2005 | A/Professor Robert Ali, Dr Alex Ganora, Dr Richard Gun
2004 | Dr David Douglas, Dr Niki Ellis, Dr Kerry Kirke AM, Dr Elisabeth Murphy, Dr Conrad Winer
2003 | Dr Ian Gardner, Professor Ian Riley, Dr Gerald Ryan, Professor Malcolm Sim


Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal

Awarded every five years.

Professor Roger Reddel AO | 2017 recipient

Professor Roger ReddelProfessor 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.

Past recipients

2012 | Professor Colin Sullivan AO
2006 | Dr Barry Marshall AC, Nobel Laureate (Physiology or Medicine)
1993 | Professor Donald Metcalf, AC
1988 | Professor Austin Doyle AO
1984 | Dr Stanley Goulston AO MC

1979 | Professor Charles 'Ruthven' Blackburn AC
1974 | Dr Ian Wood MBE
1969 | Sir Edward Ford OBE


Eric Susman Prize

Professor Flavia CicuttiniProfessor Flavia Cicuttini | Joint 2021 recipient

Flavia Cicuttini is Head of Rheumatology Alfred Hospital and the Musculoskeletal Unit Monash University, and an NHMRC Leadership Fellow. Her principle research interests are the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Her work using novel methods for assessing joint health have resulted in new understanding of the pathogenesis of common musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, resulting in novel approaches to prevention and treatment. She has supervised 20 PhD students to completion.

Her awards include the 2010 Australian Rheumatology Association Parr prize and 2015 President’s award, and 2019 Altmetric top 100 globally award. Recognitions include as Member of the Order of Australia in 2021 and Fellowship of Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences in 2019. She currently serves on the council of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences, the AIHW National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Monitoring Advisory Group, the Repatriation Medical Authority, the Board of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International and on the editorial board of a number of journals.


Professor Steve NichollsProfessor Stephen Nicholls | Joint 2021 recipient

Stephen Nicholls is the Director of MonashHeart, Director of Victorian Heart Institute and Professor of Cardiology at Monash University. He will be the Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital. He completed his medical residency at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, cardiology training at John Hunter Hospital and PhD at the University of Adelaide, prior to holding a postdoctoral fellowship and faculty appointment at the Cleveland Clinic and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. His research interests focus on the role of metabolic risk factors and imaging in atherosclerosis, with work spanning from early discovery to leadership of large clinical trials.

He has raised more than $160M in research funding and has more than 1,000 peer reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and conference proceedings. He is President of the Australian Atherosclerosis Society, Chair of both the Australia and New Zealand Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials Scientific Committee and the Asia Pacific Cardiometabolic Consortium and is President-elect of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Past recipients

2020 | Professor Prashanthan Sanders
2019 | Professor Merlin Thomas
2018 |
Professor Ranjeny Thomas
2017 | Professor Christopher Fairley, Professor Andrew Roberts
2016 | Professor Ostoja (Steve) Vucic
2015 | Professor Richard Pestell

2014 | Professor Rinaldo Bellomo AO
2013 | A/Professor Diane Fatkin
2012 | Professor Stephen Clarke
2011 | Professor John Rasko AO
2010 | Professor Stephen Kent
2009 | Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO
2008 | A/Professor Matthew Kiernan
2007 | A/Professor Geoffrey Lindeman
2006 | A/Professor Timothy Hughes
2005 | Professor Jonathan Kalman AO
2004 | Professor Richard Gilbert
2003 | A/Professor David Kaye
2002 | A/Professor Robert McLachlan
2001 | Professor Bartholomew Currie
2000 | Professor Michael Horowitz
1999 | A/Professor Mark Cooper AO
1998 | A/Professor David Celermajer AO
1997 | A/Professor Peter Fuller
1996 | Dr Glenn Begley
1995 | Professor John Eisman AO
1994 | Professor David Handelsman AO
1993 | A/Professor Samuel Berkovic AC AM
1992 | Professor Graham Brown
1991 | Professor Richard Kefford AM
1990 | Not awarded
1989 | Professor Hatem Salem AM
1988 | Professor Geoffrey Farrell
1987 | Professor Leonard Harrison
1986 | Dr Frank Shann AM
1985 | Professor Mathew Vadas AO
1984 | Professor John Funder AC AO
1983 | Professor Murray Esler
1982 | Professor Richard Larkins AC AO
1981 | Dr Martin van der Weyden
1980 | Dr Gregor Lawrence
1979 | Professor Ian McKenzie AM
1978 | Professor Bryan Emmerson AO
1977 | Professor Donald Metcalf AC
1976 | Professor Lawrie Powell
1975 | Professor Henry Burger AO
1974 | Professor Thomas Martin
1973 | Dr Jack Hansky AM
1972 | Professor Michael Denborough AC
1971 | Professor Gordon de Gruchy
1970 | Dr Jack Hirsh
1969 | Dr Kevin Catt
1968 | Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith
1967 | Dr Paul Nestel AO
1966 | Dr Ian Mackay
1965 | A/Professor Barry Firkin
1964 | Professor Basil Hetzel AC
1963 | Not awarded
1962 | Professor John Read


RACP International Medal

Professor Alicia JenkinsProfessor Alicia Jenkins | 2022 recipient

For more than 20 years, Professor Alicia Jenkins has donated much of her personal time to increase awareness of the health and life-threatening plight of poor people with diabetes in disadvantaged regions. Since 2000, she has been an active Board member of the NGO Insulin for Life (IFL), which provides in-date unopened diabetes supplies from nine affluent countries to clinics for the poor with diabetes in over 30 disadvantaged countries. IFL also supports locally-led clinics for youth, and community education and screening days. Professor Jenkins founded IFL USA (about 2003), IFL Global (2015) and became IFL Australia President in 2017.

She recruits and mentors others, including medical students, doctors, nurses and general community members to assist IFL. She facilitates clinical research, ranging from short-term summer students to higher research degree candidates. Professor Jenkins also has long-standing collaborations with another NGO, Life For a Child, and since 2015 has been on the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Western Pacific Region Executive Council.

Past recipients

2021 | Professor Gregory Fox
2020 | Dr Kamalini Lokuge OAM
2019 | Dr Christine Sanderson
2018 | Dr Phillip du Cros
2017 | Professor Maxine Whittaker
2016 | Professor David Brewster


RACP Medal for Clinical Services in Rural and Remote Areas

James BurrowDr James Burrow | 2023 recipient

Dr Burrow was born in Bolivia to missionary parents. He undertook undergraduate education at the University of Adelaide and physician training at Royal Adelaide Hospital; General Internal Medicine (1986) and Neurology (1998). He moved to Darwin in 1991 where he was one of four physicians. The workload was heavy with neurology and general medicine, ICU/CCU, renal dialysis etc. He spent a great deal of time travelling to remote Aboriginal communities around the Katherine and Arnhem regions. 

In places like Lajamanu, Dr Burrow was the only doctor to have ever seen a patient twice, such was the difficulty in providing continuity of medical care in those isolated communities. Thirty years later the medical workforce has increased greatly but Dr Burrow laments the fact that in Australia where we have a surfeit of doctors we still cannot provide the necessary care in remote and regional Australia. His greatest reward is to be accosted by a middle-aged Aboriginal man "do you remember me when I was a boy at Yarralin?". Patients everywhere want constancy and a warm relationship with their doctor.

Past recipients

2022 | Associate Professor Kevin Alford OAM
2021 | Dr Allan Kerrigan
2020 | Professor Gerard Carroll AM
2019 | Dr Peter Goss
2018 | Dr Nalini Pati
2017 | Dr Simon Quilty, Dr Frank Wagner
2016 | Dr Stephen Brady, A/Professor Adam Scheinberg

2015 | Dr Charles Kilburn, Dr John Malcolm, Dr Kunwarjit Sangla
2014 | Adjunct A/Professor Gabriel Shannon
2013 | Not awarded
2012 | A/Professor Ashim Sinha, Dr John Hurley
2011 | Dr Valda Ahern, Dr Robert Brodribb, Dr Neil MacKenzie, Dr Christopher Moyes
2010 | Dr Donald Adsett
2009 | Dr Alan Parsons
2008 | Dr Paul Bauert, Dr Philip Tideman, Dr Leonard Tucker
2007 | Dr Howard Flavell, Dr Diane Howard, Dr Ross Messer
2006 | A/Professor Leslie Bolitho, Dr Ross Diplock
2005 | Dr Thomas Henderson, Dr Robert Ziffer
2004 | Dr Llew Davies, Dr Peter Eastaugh, Dr Ian Smee, Dr Nigel Stewart
2003 | Dr Raymond Lindseyjavascript:void(0);, Dr Peter Vine
2002 | Dr Clive Hadfield
2001 | Dr Rufus McLeay
2000 | Dr Michael Williams
1999 | Dr John Erlich
1998 | Dr David Lo


RACP Mentor of the Year

Ross NicholsonDr Ross Nicholson | 2023 recipient

Dr Ross Nicholson worked as a General Paediatrician and Paediatric Cardiologist at Kidz First Hospital (Middlemore Hospital) for 30 years. He was in the role of Director of Paediatric Physician Education (DPPE) at Middlemore Hospital for 22 years.

Throughout his consultant career at Kidz First Hospital, Ross consistently advocated for a culture of learning. He has a long history of supporting trainees to define and achieve their career goals. Ross is consistent in his role-modelling of evidence-based medicine and supports trainees to practice evidence-based medicine. He has also provided pastoral care and mentorship to hundreds of paediatric trainees.

Past recipients

2022 | Associate Professor Anne Powell
2021 | Dr David Levitt
2020 | Clinical A/Professor Sarah Cherian
2019 | Dr Jeremy McAnulty
2018 | A/ Professor Apo Demikol
2017 | Professor Derek Chew
2016 | Dr Amalie Wilke

2015 | Professor Craig Mellis
2014 | Dr Peter Roper
2013 | Dr Habibur Bhurawala, Dr Rosemary Fahy, Dr Stella Milsom
2012 | Not awarded
2011 | Dr Peter Davoren, Professor Peter Fuller, Dr Harriet Hiscock, Dr John Masson
2010 | Not awarded
2009 | A/Professor David Burgner, A/Professor Sanghamitra Guha, Professor Constance Katelaris
2008 | Dr Peter Eastaugh, Dr David Krieser, Dr Gokulan Pavendranathan, A/Professor Ashim Sinha, Dr Martin Stockler
2007 | Dr Peter Eastaugh, Dr Fary Khan, Dr Vasikaran Naganathan, Dr Laila Rotstein


RACP Trainee of the Year

Alexandra CrokerDr Alexandra Croker | 2023 recipient

Dr Alexandra Croker is a paediatric advanced trainee at John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, New South Wales. She completed her medical degree at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales.

She grew up in Sydney as the eldest of four children, so escaped city life to complete her medical degree at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales. She now lives in Newcastle with her two children: Charlie, 5, and Noah, 3.5, who are her greatest achievements to date.

Dr Croker currently works as the Senior Paediatric Registrar for the Northern Paediatric Physician Training Network. She said, “I am grateful to all my amazing colleagues who nominated me for this award. I love my job and the people I work with and pour my heart into trying to improve our training experience.”

Outside of work, she loves being in nature: going to the beach or exploring the bush with her boys.

Past recipients

2022 | Dr Hashim Abdeen
2021 | Dr Davina Buntsma
2020 | Dr Hashrul N. Rashid
2019 | Dr Cameron Gofton, Dr Te Aro Moxon
2018 | Dr Daryl Cheng
2017 | Dr Ross Roberts-Thomson
2016 | Dr Evan Jolliffe

2015 | Dr Tamara Mackean
2014 | Dr Jim Newcombe
2013 | Not awarded
2012 | Dr Shopna Bag
2011 | Dr Josh Francis
2010 | Dr Bradley Gardiner
2009 | Dr Zoë Raos


RACP President's Indigenous Congress Prize

Dr Jack EvansDr 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.

Past recipients

2019 | Kapowairua Stephens
2018 | Dr Kiri Diack
2017 | Dr Tara Purcell

2016 | Marlene Kong
2015 | Natasha Martin, Anika Tiplady
2014 | Dr Cara Lucas
2013 | Dr Angela Wood


RACP Trainee Research Awards for Excellence

Adult Medicine

2019 | Dr Stephen Bacchi (SA), Dr Benjamin Cailes (Vic), Dr Martin Hansen (NT), Dr Panchi Kumarasinghe (WA), Dr Prianka Puri (NSW/ACT), Dr Adam Stewart (Qld), Dr Chang-Ho Yoon (Aotearoa NZ), Dr Jasmine Zhu (Tas)

Paediatrics & Child Health

2019 | Dr Sam Brophy-Williams (WA), Dr Emily Cripps (Tas), Dr Alison Freeth (NSW/ACT), Dr Matthew Lynch (NT), Dr Sarah Primhak (Aotearoa NZ), Dr Robyn Silcock (Qld), Dr Eva Sudbury (Vic)

See full recipient list


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