News & Media Opinion Pieces Congratulations to Professor Tony McMichael

Congratulations to Professor Tony McMichael

There are two exciting developments involving Tony McMichael, member of DEA’s Scientific Advisory Committee. We offer our congratulations.

Australia Fellowship

An Australia Fellowship of $4 million has been awarded to Professor Tony McMichael, a world leader in environmental epidemiology from the Australian National University, who will use his fellowship to further his pioneering research on the health risks of global climate change and environmental influences on infectious and parasitic diseases and autoimmune disease.

MEDIA RELEASE from Research Australia
 23 July 2007

Health researchers tackle climate change

Eminent Australian scientists are preparing a report to highlight the health implications of global warming in Australia.

A panel of 10 scientists, brought together by Research Australia, will profile Australian health and medical research into environmental health issues that are likely to emerge or worsen due to climate change.

Led by Professor Tony McMichael of the Australian National University in Canberra, the report will cover emerging research in areas such as:

• The impact of climate change on the spread of infectious disease
• Climate change, water supplies and health
• Asthma and climate change
• The effects of climate change on mental health
• The relationship between energy use, climate change and obesity
• Heat extremes and mortality

Research Australia CEO, Rebecca James, said the potential health impacts of climate change are significant.

“Scientists are now turning their attention to the possible health implications of climate change. They are raising new and challenging questions,” Ms James said.

“This report will provide evidence, projections and predictions from leading Australian scientists to help focus debate and guide funding and research priorities.

“Climate change is more than a local, direct-acting, environmental issue. The health risks are wide-ranging, and extend into the future. More research is needed to understand the full impact of this type of large-scale environmental change on our health, and ways of minimising the health, social and economic costs associated with global warming.”

The report will be released in October 2007 in the lead-up to Research Australia’s “Thank You” Day on November 20, 2007.
Now in its fifth year, Research Australia’s “Thank You” Day raises community awareness of the importance of health and medical research in our everyday lives.

Australians are able to send personal messages of thanks to medical researchers for the work they do to protect and enhance our quality of life via the Research Australia “Thank You” Day website (www.thankyouday.org ) or SMS 0428THANKS. Over 350,000 messages of thanks were received during the campaign last year.

Research Australia is a unique national alliance of over 190 member and donor organisations with a common mission to make health and medical research a higher national priority. For more information on Research Australia visit www.researchaustralia.org