2019 John Yu Oration and medal with Professor Anushka Patel

On Thursday the 22th of August 2019, The George Institute for Global Health community came together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of John Yu Oration & Medal.

This year the honour was awarded to our Chief Scientist and Vice Principal Director, Professor Anushka Patel.

Anuskha is a Professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney and a cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia. She undertook her medical training at the University of Queensland, with subsequent postgraduate research degrees from Harvard University and the University of Sydney.

As Chief Scientist, Anushka has a key role in developing and leading global strategic initiatives across the organisation. Her personal research interests focus on developing innovative solutions for delivering affordable and effective cardiovascular care in the community and in acute care hospital settings. Anushka currently leads research projects relating to these interests in a number of countries including Australia, China and India. She is supported by a Principal Research Fellowship from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

About Dr John Yu and the John Yu Oration

Established in 2012, the John Yu Oration and Medal honours individuals who have made a significant contribution to global health, and in particular to building relationships between Asia and the rest of the world. The Oration and Medal were named in recognition of the contributions made by our former Chairman, Dr John Yu AC.

Dr John Yu AC was Chair of The George Institute for Global Health from 2006 to 2010, where his leadership and passion for the Institute’s work were invaluable to our growth.

A former Australian of the Year, Dr Yu was born in China and with his mother and sister immigrated to Australia as a refugee, joining relatives that had lived in Australia since the Victorian Gold Rush. Dr Yu studied at the University of Sydney and embarked on a successful career in paediatrics, rising to the position of Head of Medicine at the Royal Alexander Hospital for Children in Camperdown. In 1978, Dr Yu was appointed Chief Executive Officer and was the driving force behind the hospital’s relocation to Westmead in 1995. An expert on the decorative arts of South East Asia, Dr Yu’s vision was to create a best practice paediatric hospital that integrated art, design and high quality medical care for the benefit of young people.

The John Yu Oration aims to contribute to the strengthening of regional ties between Australia and Asia and celebrate Dr John Yu AC’s lifelong devotion to promoting cultural, educational and scientific relationships between Australia and Asia. I recognition of Dr Yu’s outstanding service, The George Institute created the John Yu Oration and Medal which recognises individuals who embody Dr Yu’s commitment to regional development, health, prosperity and friendship.