Robert Matheson
Douglas
Robert Matheson Douglas AO (born 1936). He studied medicine at the
University of Adelaide, graduating in 1959. In 1967 he took up a
position as Specialist Physician and Deputy Medical Superintendent
of the Port Moresby hospital in Papua New Guinea.
Robert M.
Douglas prefers to be called Bob. He was born to Rev. John and Ruth
Douglas and was the second of three boys. He attended Newcastle Boys
Selective High School and later Fort Street High School in Sydney.
He is married, with three children and 12 grandchildren. Bob enjoys
working on his organisation, Australia 21, writing poetry, reading
and spending time with his family.
In Papua New Guinea, he
developed an interest in respiratory infections particularly the
prevention of pneumonia, which led to work in the USA on licensure
of pneumococcal vaccine. This interest led to a position with the
World Health Organisation, working on programs to reduce child
deaths from pneumonia. After working as an academic in public health
he became Dean of Medicine at the University of Adelaide, and later
Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population
Health, and Coordinating Editor of the Acute Respiratory Infections
Group of the Cochrane Collaboration. He is a former President of The
Public Health Association of Australia and of The Australasian
Epidemiological Association.
In 2001, after retiring as
Emeritus Professor at The Australian National University, he founded
Australia 21 - a non-profit organisation developing research
networks on issues of importance to Australia's future. He is
currently Chairman of the Board.
Along with the Nature and
Society Forum he is also exploring the feasibility of developing
some prototype SEE-change centres in Canberra. This is a new
mechanism to enable Australians to connect with each other and the
environment and to refurbish our spirit, our hope and our
understanding of the future. A place where ordinary Australians have
the opportunity to debate and consider new directions for our
society.
He is also a committed environmentalist.
In
recognition of his contribution to medicine, particularly
respiratory disease and the development of public health training in
Australia, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2000.
In 2006 he was nominated as the Australian of the Year.
Any contributions to this item will be
gratefully accepted
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