2023 Lung Health Legend Award Winners

Professor Peter Gibson is a respiratory physician and clinical scientist studying the disease mechanisms and treatment of severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cough and other airway disorders. He is a concept leader who has developed innovative approaches to inflammatory subtypes of asthma and cough; airway biomarkers; neurogenic mechanisms, laryngeal dysfunction and related treatments for refractory cough; multidimensional assessment and management of complex airway disorders such as severe asthma, airways diseases in the elderly, and asthma in pregnant women. He has an extensive track record of research success and mentorship of clinical researchers and is a former President of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. 

Professor Gibson has been an active member of Lung Foundation Australia committees and workgroups over the years, including:  

• Member of Lung Foundation Australia’s National Clinical Council 
• Member of CICADA Expert Committee (Cough Infants, Children, Adults Diagnosis and Assessment) 
• Founding President of Lung Health Alliance 
• TSANZ Past President 

We thank Professor Gibson for his tireless commitment in the asthma space and for enriching the lives of those living with asthma and their families. 

Professor Phil Hansbro is an internationally recognised researcher exploring the hallmark features of respiratory disease with an aim to improve global wellbeing. He is Deputy Director of the Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs based at The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), leading a research team of around 30 researchers who are working to understand COPD/emphysema, asthma, infection and lung cancer. He is Deputy Director at the Centenary Institute as well as Director of the Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation.

Professor Hansbro has been a key contributor to Lung Foundation Australia, having supported numerous COPD and Asthma resources and co-created a number of research projects as Chief Investigator 

We thank Professor Hansbro for his dedication to improving access to treatment and care for people living with COPD and other respiratory conditions. 

Professor Ian Yang is a Thoracic Physician and Director of Thoracic Medicine at The Prince Charles Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service; Head of the UQ Northside Clinical Unit and Professor, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane. His clinical work is in the field of thoracic medicine, and his research team is studying gene-environmental interaction in COPD, asthma, lung cancer, smoking cessation and air pollution, and approaches to improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases. He is one of two Co-Chairs of the national COPD-X Guidelines Committee of Lung Foundation Australia. He is a member of editorial boards of respiratory journals and serves as a Co-Chair of the Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners Chronic Disease Theme.

Professor Yang is a longstanding contributor to Lung Foundation Australia, having served on many committees, including: 

• Chair of the COPD-X Guidelines Clinical Advisory Committee 
• Member of the Clinical and Research Council 
• Member of the COPD Clinical Advisory Committee 

• Member of the COPD-X Concise Guide for Primary Care Writing Committee 
• Member of the Lungs in Action Expert Advisory Panel 

Expert Steering Committee Member – COPD National Strategy 2022-2025 

We thank Professor Yang for his dedicated commitment to making improvements in COPD and enriching the lives of those living with lung cancer and their families. 

Professor Matthew Peters is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Macquarie University Hospital and also head of Respiratory Medicine at Concord Hospital. He holds academic appointments at Macquarie University and Sydney University and has had a long-term interest in lung cancer research. Professor Peters has a focus on preventative health and was Chair of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) for many years. Professor Peters is a past President of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand. 

He has contributed to the training of more than 30 Thoracic Physicians now in practice. He has a diverse range of research interests including respiratory physiology, asthma and lung cancer but also a particular focus on improvement in public health, and has made a notable contributions in the area of Tobacco Control and better care of patients with lung cancer.  He chairs the Global Lung Cancer Coalition and was instrumental in the creation of the Kylie Johnson Lung Cancer Network, an important component of the patient support activities of the Lung Foundation and encouraged and supported the establishment of the Australia and New Zealand Lung Cancer Nurses Forum. His primary role within Macquarie Respiratory and Sleep is with the Lung Function Laboratory. 

Professor Peters has been an active member of Lung Foundation Australia committees and workgroups over the years, including the design and development of numerous lung cancer, COPD, smoking cessation and vaping resources.  Professor Peters has been a Lung Foundation spokesperson on numerous campaigns including the highly successful FFS Lung Cancer Stigma Campaign.   

We thank Professor Peters for his dedicated commitment to making improvements in tobacco control and lung cancer and enriching the lives of those living with lung cancer and their families. 

A/Prof Debbie Rigby is a consultant clinical pharmacist from Brisbane. She graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Queensland she has since obtained a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy, Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy, Advanced Diploma in Nutritional Pharmacy, and certification as an Asthma Educator; and credentialed as an Advanced Practice Pharmacist. Debbie has been a Director on the NPS MedicineWise Board (National Prescribing Service) since 2008 and has ministerial appointments to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Advisory Council (ATGAC) and Natural Therapies Review Advisory Committee (NTRAC). 
 
Debbie is also a Fellow of PSA, Australian College of Pharmacy (ACP), American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Academic appointments include Adjunct Senior Lecturer at University of Queensland and Honorary Fellow at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Debbie also sits on the Australian & New Zealand Continence Journal Editorial Committee, MIMS Editorial Board, and the ASCP journal The Consultant Pharmacist Editorial Review Board.  

A/Prof Rigby has been integral to many Lung Foundation Australia Committees over the years, including:  

•  COPD Steering Committee 
•  COPD X Guidelines Committee 
•  The Lung Health Primary Health Care Committee 

• As a media and community spokesperson on numerous campaigns 
• As the leader of our COPD devises training videos and programs 

Expert Steering Committee Member COPD National Strategy 2022-2024 

We thank Debbie for her dedicated commitment to making improvements in the area of clinical pharmacy and enriching the lives of those living with lung disease and lung cancer and their families. 

 Dr Kerry Hancock is a General Practitioner and has over 35 years’ experience in clinical practice. She graduated from Flinders University of South Australia Medical School in 1980 and established her own general practice, Chandlers Hill Surgery in 1985 in the outer southern suburbs of Adelaide. She remains one of the six  Principals in the practice, with  eleven  other GPs, nurses and  a clinical pharmacist, which  in three and a half decades has grown into a moderate to large sized group practice renowned for its training of general practitioners and  medical students and innovative practices to meet the needs of its community. Chandlers Hill Surgery was awarded Australian General Practice of the Year in 1999 and was also SA Practice of the Year in 2010. 

For the last 25 years Kerry has had a special interest in general practice based respiratory medicine and maintains strong affiliations with professional and consumer organisations such as RACGP, the International Primary Care Respiratory Group, Lung Foundation Australia, Asthma Australia, National Asthma Council of Australia, and Cancer Australia. 

In 2018 Dr Hancock was awarded Honorary Fellowship Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) for her services to general practice, respiratory medicine and teaching. 

Dr Hancock is a longstanding contributor to Lung Foundation Australia, having served on many committees, including: 

• Inaugural Chair of the GP Advisory Group 
• Co-Chair of the Primary Care Clinical Advisory Committee 
• Member of the Clinical and Research Council 

• Member of the COPD Clinical Advisory Committee 
• Member of the COPD Nurses and Pharmacy Committees 
• Member of the COPD-X Concise Guide for Primary Care Writing Committee 
• Member of the Your Voice Lung Cancer Clinician Advocates Group 

Member of the Expert Steering Committee – National COPD Strategy 2022-2025 

Member of the National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions 2019-2023 

We thank Kerry for her dedicated commitment to making improvements in lung health in GPs and enriching the lives of those living with lung disease and lung cancer and their families. 

Professor Lidia Morawska is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia; the Director of the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH) at QUT, a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Air Quality and Health; a Co-Director in Australia for the Australia – China Centre for Air Quality Science and Management (ACC-AQSM); an Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Environmental and Climate Research (ECI), at the Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; and a Vice-Chancellor Fellow, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, United Kingdom. She conducts fundamental and applied research in the interdisciplinary field of air quality and its impact on human health and the environment, with a specific focus on science of airborne particulate matter. 

Lidia has been instrumental in the area of air quality, a new key focus to Lung Foundation Australia, assisting with the development of resources for air quality and participating in numerous lung health and indoor and outdoor air quality research in diverse areas such as bushfire smoke and the COVID pandemic 

We thank Lidia for her dedicated commitment to making improvements in air quality which will extend the quality of life of those living with lung disease and lung cancer and their families. 

Mary is a registered nurse working in respiratory medicine.  She has a Diploma of Applied Science (Nursing), Bachelor of Health Science (Conversion) and a Master of Nursing (Specialisation – Medical) and has worked as a registered nurse, clinical nurse specialist, clinical nurse educator and a CNC (all in respiratory medicine). 

Mary has been a champion for Lung Foundation Australia’s work at various conferences and events, including being lead nurse educator, delivering inhaler device technique training.  She has also contributed to the original version and digitisation of the inhaler device technique training program (2021), review panel for our COPD Nurse and Pharmacy eLearning suites (2022-23) and the PR Guidelines (2016-18).

• Member of the Nurse Network 

• Member of the Social Inclusion Project Working Group 
• Member of the PR Network 
• Member of the Primary Care Clinical Advisory Committee 
• Lead Nurse Educator delivering inhaler device technique training  

Member of the National Strategic Action Plan Steering Committee 2019-2022 

We thank Lidia for her dedicated commitment and passion providing hope to those living with lung disease and lung cancer and their families.