Message from the Head of School

As the holiday season approaches, I would like to thank you all for another fantastic year at the Melbourne Medical School. The School has achieved so much in 2023, and we couldn’t have done it without your commitment and hard work throughout the year.

I was delighted to attend the Medici Symposium, co-hosted by the Melbourne Medical School and the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. The Symposium explored how research groups within the two schools can work together to stimulate future grant submissions and other collaborative activities. I was pleased to present the awards and I would once again like to congratulate Dr Ye Tian, Dr Hui Yin Lim, Dr Romy Walker and Dr Jesse Zanker for receiving a Student Publication Prize, and Dr Ken Pang and Associate Professor Zhichao Wu for receiving an Outstanding Graduate Research Supervision by Honorary Staff award.

(L-R) Dr Ken Pang, Dr Hui Yin Lim, Dr Ye Tian, Professor Nicola Lautenschlager, Dr Romy Walker and Associate Professor Zhichao Wu (absent: Dr Jesse Zanker).

Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Chiron 50+ Reunion lunch at Melbourne Connect and the 1993, 2003 and 2013 MMS Milestone Reunions at the Science Gallery. It was wonderful to catch up with our alumni from the three cohorts, and what made it even more special was the alumni representatives who gave a toast to celebrate their respective cohort. The event was well attended, and there was a lively buzz of conversations. It is always inspiring to see the remarkable impact our graduates have made in their field, and I am grateful for their lifelong connections and contributions to the School over the years.

I was also pleased to attend the launch of the Collaborative Practice Centre last month, which was officially opened by Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler. It was wonderful to learn about the ways in which the Centre will equip healthcare professionals to work together to improve health outcomes, and I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in the formation of the Centre.

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Melbourne Medical School staff who received academic promotions, fellowships, awards and were successful grant recipients throughout the year. It is fantastic to see our staff and students being recognised for their excellence and hard work both within the University and beyond.

Before closing, I am thrilled to congratulate Professor Sarath Ranganathan on his appointment as Head of the Melbourne Medical School, commencing 15 January 2024. Sarath will be known to many of you through his leadership roles in the Faculty including Stevenson Chair and Head of the Department of Paediatrics in the Melbourne Medical School.

This will be my final newsletter editorial as my tenure as interim Head of the Melbourne Medical School draws to a close in mid-January 2024. It was an absolute honour to serve the School in this capacity since October 2022. It was wonderful to learn every day about the amazing work and study which takes place in our School and I would like to thank you all for your unwavering support.

I look forward to seeing the continued success and growth of the School under Sarath’s leadership.

I wish you all well for the holidays and hope you have a relaxing and restful break.

Best wishes

Professor Nicola Lautenschlager
Head, Melbourne Medical School