Congratulations to the Mater People who have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday 2020 Honours List and the Queensland Day Awards over the weekend.
Mater Chair Francis Sullivan was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service to the community, particularly through social justice and legislative reform initiatives, his leadership of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, and to health and aged care.
Francis is committed to equity and justice and has been highly successful in bringing a social conscience to the political debate on health and aged care issues. Francis’ contribution to the Church and the community over the course of his career has been outstanding. We are fortunate at Mater to benefit from his wisdom and leadership, and offer our congratulations on this well-deserved and significant honour.
Mater Research Board Director Professor Perry Bartlett was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service to neuroscience research, and to people living with dementia, motor neurone disease and spinal cord injury.
Perry has been responsible for a series of ground-breaking discoveries in neuroscience, which have often overturned existing dogma and led to a new understanding, particularly in the areas of neuronal precursor regulation and neuron survival in the developing and adult nervous system.
Philanthropist and Mater supporter Mr Patrick Terrance (Terry) Jackman AM has also been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the community through support for educational and medical research organisations, and to tourism and business.
Terry generously donated $1 million to establish the Sister Angela Mary Fund at Mater supporting a senior researcher in neonatal nursing to help identify ways of managing sick and preterm infants creating a safer and more comfortable environment for babies and parents in neonatal nurseries.
Dr Lyndall White, who completed her medical residency at Mater and has a long standing association with Mater Mothers’ Hospitals, has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to medicine, psychiatry and perinatal and infant mental health.
Dr Michael Redmond has also been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to medicine, neurosurgery and medical organisations. Dr Redmond has a long association with neuroscience at Mater and is well known to many Mater People for his ground-breaking work with paediatric neurosurgery.
In the Queensland Day awards Mater Haematologist and Oncologist Associate Professor James Morton AM has been recognised as a Queensland Great for his work with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and is the Founder and previous Chair of the AEIOU Foundation for children with autism.
His vision is to see every young child with ASDs in Australia able to access high quality, evidence-based early intervention.
Congratulations to all Mater People who received such high honours of recognition over the weekend.