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Robert M. Douglas (doctor)
Encyclopedia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
MB BS Adel MD MA FRACP FRACGP FAFPHM (born 8 August 1936). He studied medicine at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
, graduating in 1959. In 1967 he took up a position as Specialist Physician and Deputy Medical Superintendent of the Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
hospital in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
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Life
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 High School and later Fort Street High SchoolFort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Sydney. He is married, with three children and 12 grandchildren. Bob enjoys working on his organisation, Australia 21
Australia 21
Australia 21 is a non-profit organisation started in Canberra in 2001.It is grappling with some of the issues that challenge our future such as climate change, energy, land and water use, the realization of our children's potential and the way Australia relates to its neighbours...
, writing poetry, reading and spending time with his family.
Career
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 pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. 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
Cochrane Collaboration
The Cochrane Collaboration is a group of over 28,000 volunteers in more than 100 countries who review the effects of health care interventions tested in biomedical randomized controlled trials. A few more recent reviews have also studied the results of non-randomized, observational studies...
. He is a former President of The Public Health Association of Australia and of The Australasian Epidemiological Association.
Community
In 2001, after retiring as Emeritus Professor at The Australian National University, he founded Australia 21Australia 21
Australia 21 is a non-profit organisation started in Canberra in 2001.It is grappling with some of the issues that challenge our future such as climate change, energy, land and water use, the realization of our children's potential and the way Australia relates to its neighbours...
- 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.
Honours
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
Australian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
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