2021 Lung Health Legend Award Winners

Professor Michael Abramson is Professor of clinical epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, where he obtained his medical degree. He undertook physician training at Prince Henry’s and the Royal Newcastle Hospitals, where he received his PhD for a study of occupational asthma in aluminium smelter workers. His current research program covers the epidemiology of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including genetic and environmental risk factors such as air pollution and occupation, and the role of spirometry in managing these conditions.

Professor Abramson has been a key contributor to Lung Foundation Australia, having served on many committees, including:

• Member Occupational Lung Disease Expert Working Group member
• COPD-X Concise Guide for Primary Care Writing Committee Chair

We thank Professor Abramson for his dedication to improving access to treatment and care for people living with Occupational Lung Disease.

Professor David Ball is formerly the Director of the multi-disciplinary Lung Service at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. He is a Professorial Fellow of the University of Melbourne and has devoted the greater part of his professional career to lung cancer.  He was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2019 and at present leads the lung Radiation Oncology Service at Peter Mac.  Professor Ball’s research interests include lung cancer staging, tumour imaging and definition, stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, and combined modality therapy.

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

• Lung Cancer Clinical Advisory Committee member
• Organising Committee for the Australian Lung Cancer Conference member
• Australasian Lung Cancer Clinical Trials Group founding member

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

Professor Anne Chang AM is an established leading researcher with international recognition in cough, bronchiectasis and evidence based medicine (EBM) related to paediatric respiratory medicine. An Honorary Professor at QUT and paediatric respiratory physician at Queensland Children’s Hospital, she has helped develop and apply EBM for respiratory illnesses nationally and internationally. Professor Chang is also responsible for changing paradigms in the investigation and management of paediatric cough leading to earlier diagnosis of bronchiectasis, describing a pre-bronchiectasis condition (PBB), the inclusion of respiratory symptoms in primary care child assessments (Northern Territory and Queensland) and the establishment of the first international Indigenous collaborative respiratory study  She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 for significant service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respiratory health. symptoms in primary care child assessments (Northern Territory and Queensland)

and the establishment of the first international Indigenous collaborative respiratory study  She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019 for significant service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respiratory health.

Professor Chang has been a long-standing member of Lung Foundation Australia’s COPD and exercise committees, including:

• Australian Bronchiectasis Consortium member
• Australian Bronchiectasis Register Principal Investigators member
• COVID-19 Expert Working Group member
• Cough Infants, Children, Adults Diagnosis and Assessment Expert Working Committee member

We thank Professor Chang for her passion in improving management options to those in priority areas and for increasing access to these people living with chronic lung diseases.

Anne Holland is Professor of Physiotherapy at Monash University and Alfred Health in Melbourne. Professor Holland’s research program investigates supportive therapies for people with chronic respiratory disease, with a focus on COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. Her recent clinical trials have tested new models of pulmonary rehabilitation to improve access and uptake, including low-cost home-based models and telerehabilitation. Professor Holland is currently leading a multi-national trial of ambulatory oxygen for people with fibrotic lung disease and is Chief Investigator for the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis (CRE-PF). Professor Holland has published over 260 peer reviewed journal articles and her publications have been cited over 10,000 times, including in 15 clinical guidelines for chronic lung disease, pulmonary rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

In 2011, Anne was awarded the Lung Foundation Australia/ Boehringer Ingelheim Fellowship in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which looked at the benefits and costs of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation. She has contributed significantly to lung health in Australia; not only through research, but also through helping to shape Lung Foundation Australia programs and services.

Professor Holland has been integral to many Lung Foundation Australia Committees over the years, including:

• Translation and Education Committee Chair
• Australasian Rare Lung Disease Conference Committee member
• Australia and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinical Practice Guidelines Writing Group Lead

We thank Anne for her extensive support and career-long dedication to enhancing the lives of people impacted by chronic lung conditions.

Associate Professor Eddie Lau underwent both radiology and nuclear medicine training in Melbourne and has been a radiologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre since 2000. He is a clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and a principal fellow in the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology at The University of Melbourne. His professional expertise is in cancer imaging, with particular interest in correlation between structural and functional imaging including PET/CT and radiology applications in oncology.

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

• Lung Cancer Clinical Advisory Committee member
• PAH Sub-committee member

A/Prof Lau stepped down from the Lung Cancer Clinical Advisory Committee in 2021 after 18 years of membership and extensive contribution. As he passes on the baton to another, we thank A/Prof Lau for his dedication, in particular to lung cancer and for championing the importance of early diagnosis in improving the lives of those impacted.

Professor Guy Marks is a respiratory physician and environmental epidemiologist. His main research interests are in chronic respiratory disease (asthma and COPD), tuberculosis control and the adverse health effects of exposure to air pollution. He is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at UNSW, South-Western Sydney Clinical School and currently an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow. He is head of the Respiratory and Environmental Epidemiology group at the Woolcock Institute and an Honorary Professor at The University of Sydney (Sydney Medical School).

Prof Marks has been a key contributor to Lung Foundation Australia’s respiratory program for many years and has supported the organisation by volunteering on various expert groups, including:

• National Strategic Action Plan for Lung Conditions Advisory Group member 

We thank Professor Marks for his dedicated commitment to making improvements in the air quality, tuberculosis and COPD and asthma space and enriching the lives of those living with lung disease.