Professor Tony Barnes with Menzies Director Alan Cass and Pat Anderson AO
Professor Tony Barnes with Menzies Director Alan Cass and Pat Anderson AO
The Companion of Menzies provides an opportunity to recognise exceptional contributions and support to the continued development and success of Menzies School of Health Research.
The 2024 recipients of the Companion of Menzies are:
Dr Aunty Bilawara Lee is a proud Larrakia woman and Senior Elder who works tirelessly to continue Larrakia people’s connection to Country, culture and their Ancestors through education, language, spirituality and healing.
Mr Amin Islam OAM
Amin Islam has made a significant contribution to Darwin and the Northern Territory, particularly in relation to community health. As Chair of Menzies’ Risk and Audit Committee, he brings extensive expertise, combining his professional skills with his experience in guiding the strategic direction and risk management of health-related organisations.. Under his leadership, the committee has strengthened our internal structures and systems which have helped to sustain and ensure our success as a research institute.
Mr Peter Plummer AM
Peter served on the Menzies Board for 8 years and was the Chair from 2014 – 2021. He was a passionate advocate for both the Northern Territory and Menzies, firmly believing in our capacity to conduct world-class research locally. Peter tirelessly supported our efforts to collaborate with health services, governments, and the people of the region to deliver impactful research that makes a difference.
The 2023 recipients of the Companion of Menzies are:
Heather D’Antoine
Heather is a Distinguished Honorary Fellow who has 25 years of experience in health services and has worked extensively in health research. Her research has focused on the area of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and other birth defects, including developing resources for health professionals and developing a model of care for FASD in Western Australia.
Marius Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri
Marius was Involved in the ‘Ask the Specialist’ podcast as a Tiwi Island Elder sharing personal experiences and cultural knowledge. He is also a member of the Australian First Nations Reference Group for Child Health, which provides high-level strategic advice to Menzies’ Child Health Division.
The 2021 recipients of the Companion of Menzies are:
Professor Simon Maddocks
Professor Simon Maddocks’s leadership as a past Charles Darwin University Vice Chancellor and previous Chair of the Menzies Board, contributed to crucial developments at Menzies. This includes initiatives to attract new researchers to the NT and securing funding for new Menzies facilitates at Royal Darwin Hospital and Charles Darwin University campuses.
Ms Olga Haven
Olga Haven spent her professional life advocating for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She has held a range of senior leadership roles across the public and private sector, and remains active in leading critical national initiatives and NT initiatives to support better outcomes for First Nations people. Olga has been a longstanding contributor to Menzies both as a previous board member, and through organisational partnerships.
Nanna Nungala Fejo
Nanna Nungala Fejo was a Warumungu woman who was forcibly removed from her family and community at Tennant Creek as an infant. Starting work in healthcare at the age of 16, she was a life-long advocate for improving the health of all. Passing in 2022, Nanna Nungala Fejo leaves a lasting legacy from her work with the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture Program, helping to empower women in communities with culturally appropriate health care.
2019 recipients:
Pat Anderson AO
Pat Anderson’s leadership over many years in the establishment, growth and sustainability of Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) and the Lowitja Institute helped contribute to developing a cohort of leaders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and community-driven approaches. She is a powerful social justice advocate who works tirelessly to improve health, education and protection outcomes for Australia’s First Peoples.
Professor Tony Barnes
Tony Barnes in his role as Director provided leadership of the CRC for Aboriginal and Tropical Health and maintains strong research collaborations and institutional engagement with Menzies through his leading role as a statistician and in exploring the demography of the Northern Territory at the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University.
Inaugural (2018) recipients:
Dr Asche was the head of the microbiology research unit at Menzies School of Health Research from 1986 to 1994 under its founding director Professor John Mathews. She continues her support for Menzies and we have the annual Val Asche Prize for Academic Excellence.
Austin Asche was Former Northern Territory Administrator, Chief Justice and Inaugural Chair of the Northern Territory University whose support over the years has been wonderful for all of us at Menzies.
Richard Ryan AO
Richard Ryan also has a long association with Menzies Chair for numerous years before becoming the inaugural Vice Chancellor of the Charles Darwin University (CDU). Richard returned to us from CDU and makes sure he keeps the wheels running as our treasurer and co-chairs our finance committee.