As of 1 September 2020, Professor Craig Anderson, Executive Director of The George Institute China, took over the role of Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious specialist journal, Cerebrovascular Disease.

Founded in 1991 by Professor Michael Hennerici of Germany, Cerebrovascular Diseases provides an international forum for sophisticated, up-to-date scientific information on clinical data, diagnostic testing, and therapeutic issues, dealing with all aspects of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases.  The journal contains original contributions, reviews of selected topics, and clinical investigative studies, recent meeting reports and work-in-progress as well as discussions on controversial issues.

After a comprehensive selection process, Professor Craig Anderson was appointed based on his outstanding research knowledge and experience in scientific writing.  His internationally recognized leadership in stroke and public health research, aligned with his longstanding participation on editorial boards and broad review experience, will serve a strong foundation for further development and growth of the journal.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Anderson said, “I’m absolutely delighted to be taking up this position and look forward to fostering scientific enquiry and the generation of evident to advance global work on stroke care and cerebrovascular research.”

The Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO) has concluded that ‘systemic failures’ played a role in the tragic death of a young Aboriginal boy named Charlie Izaak Wilfred Gowa, from far north Queensland who was turned away from hospital six times and subsequently died of sepsis.

While failure to recognise and treat sepsis has caused preventable deaths and disabilities in people from all walks of life, we know that the burden of severe sepsis falls disproportionately on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

While the need for a broad-based sepsis awareness program for the public and front-line health care workers has been recognised and promoted by the ASN and its partners, it is imperative to consider how this intersects with the wider systemic issue of access to culturally safe care in order to reduce the disproportionate burden for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The George Institute for Global Health and the Australian Sepsis Network support the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan that uses a human rights and social determinants approach and a vision of a health system free of racism and inequality whereby all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have access to health services that are effective, high quality and appropriate.

If we are to reduce the higher incidence of sepsis among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples we must move beyond a strictly biomedical approach to the disease and understand the broader social and cultural determinants of health that lead to such tragedies and system failures.

Charlie’s family have expressed that they want his story to be shared in order to stop further deaths from sepsis and to highlight the need for culturally safe and responsive health care.    

The George Institute for Global Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Ophira Ginsburg as the inaugural Elsa Atkin Distinguished Fellow.

The Elsa Atkin Distinguished Fellowship recognises the significant contribution of female leaders to advance women’s health equity. The role is named in honour of Ms Elsa Atkin AM, a past board director at the Institute, and acknowledges Ms Atkin’s passion and dedication to this cause.  Financial support for this Fellowship was made possible through philanthropic gifts made by past and present board members, staff of the institute and external supporters.

Dr Ophira Ginsburg, a medical oncologist and global women’s health researcher with technical and policy expertise in cancer prevention and control commented on the appointment.

“I am honoured to be named as the Elsa Atkin Distinguished Fellow at The George Institute (TGI). I admire the work of TGI and am excited to work alongside the incredibly productive multi-disciplinary team,” said Dr Ginsburg.

“I look forward with great anticipation to getting to know the faculty in Sydney, London, Delhi, Hyderabad and Beijing, and to working together to support the vision and mission of TGI, particularly in support of women’s health equity.”

Ms Elsa Atkin AM said the appointment of Dr Ophira was exciting.

“I am delighted with the choice of Dr Ophira Ginsberg as the inaugural Elsa Atkin Distinguished Fellow.  She brings a most impressive track record to the role gained through her global work in the advancement of women’s health.  I am sure she will be a most welcome addition to the dedicated and visionary staff of the George Institute.”

Dr Ginsburg is Director of the High-Risk Cancer Genetics Program and Associate Professor in the Section for Global Health, Department of Population Health at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Formerly based at the University of Toronto, she was a Medical Officer at WHO (2015-2016) and continues to serve as an ad hoc consultant to UN agencies. Her research is focused on equitable access to breast and cervical cancer control globally, with funding from Grand Challenges Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. She has authored 100 publications including peer-reviewed papers and invited commentaries in The Lancet, The Lancet Global Health, Cancer, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and other high-impact journals. She is currently leading a new Commission on Women and Cancer for The Lancet.

Dr Ginsburg joins The Institute’s network of external Distinguished Fellows as part of the Thought Leadership program. Dr Ginsburg’s Distinguished Fellow collaborations will contribute to progressing the agenda of the Global Women’s Health Program, including development of our strategy on women’s cancers and gynaecological health.