Commencing a new series called Pioneers in Health Care, is an interview with Professor Jeremy Chapman AC who for over 30 years, has been involved in nephrectomy, or kidney transplantation.
Honoured “for eminent service to medicine, particularly in the areas of clinical and biomedical research, to the development of ethical policy and practices for organ donation, acquisition and transplantation, and to renal medicine organisations and publications, Jeremy Chapman AC has played significant roles in development of kidney, pancreas and unrelated Bone Marrow Transplantation in Australia.
He has been responsible for global development of ethical transplantation through The Transplantation Society, the World Marrow Donor Association and through advisory roles to the World Health Organisation. He is identified as one of the most influential global leaders in the field of clinical transplantation.
Credit: Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences
In September 2022, Western Sydney’s Professor Jeremy Chapman was bestowed the prestigious 2022 Medawar Prize on-stage in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Medawar Prize, awarded biennially since 1990 and named after Society co-founder Sir Peter Medawar, is globally recognised as the most prestigious award for excellence in Transplantation Science and Jeremy is “surprised and honoured” saying “not many people get this award so it’s a true delight”.
The award recognises outstanding investigators whose contributions have profoundly influenced organ transplantation.
Professor Chapman has dedicated much of his career to clinical care and research at Westmead, since commencing as a renal physician at Westmead Hospital in 1987. He has worked as Director of Western Renal Services, Westmead Hospital’s Director of Medicine and Cancer, as well as the Director of the Westmead Hospital Foundation, Chair of the Westmead Research Hub Council and member and deputy chair of the board of WSLHD.
In the early days of transplantation long-term care of transplant patients was mostly undertaken by transplant surgeons but as both the numbers and the complexity of transplantation increased, Professor Chapman was amongst the vanguard of renal physicians that focussed, as a physician, on care of patients after their transplant.
“It’s been an interesting road of discovery over time, but also a major transformation in the outcome for our patients,” Professor Chapman said.
“When I was first involved in 1978, we thought a 60% success rate at one year after a transplant was pretty good, even when choosing the very best patients to transplant, now, we would expect more than 90 or 95% success rates in much, much older and sicker patients.”
“Australia has been a great springboard for global activity, so it’s worked out very well to be working in Australia to impact on transplantation globally.”, according to Professor Chapman.
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Changes in MBS bulk billing incentives address GP capacity in women’s health
Dr. Sneha Wadhwani, a General Practitioner in Bondi, and Conjoint Lecturer at UNSW School of Medicine, is actively involved in enhancing women’s health services across Australia. As the Co-founder and Clinical Director of Evoca Women’s Health, she highlights the significant improvements in funding for women’s health, particularly with the new MBS bulk billing incentives, in new codes, that commenced on November 1, 2025.
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Landmark research projects tackle critical issues in emergency healthcare
For two decades, the demand for emergency department services in Australia has outpaced population growth and wait times have increased. In 2022-2023 more than 8.8 million emergency department presentations occurred nationwide.
While demand is a contributing factor, EDs are currently being impacted by various factors across the entire health system.
The Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) is a non-profit organisation funding innovative Australian research that improves the way people are cared for in a medical emergency. The aim of the research is to deliver better and more effective health services to save lives and money.
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Patient family develops app for improved adherence and clinical outcomes
Darron Goralsky, a physiotherapist with over 30 years of experience, is the Clinical Director and Founder of Melbourne TMJ and Facial Pain Centre. He leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to treating jaw pain, facial pain, and headaches. Goralsky has observed a rise in musculoskeletal issues among younger populations, largely due to increased screen time and poor posture, trends that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emphasising technology integration and patient responsibility, he believes digital health solutions play a crucial role in improving adherence and outcomes for both patients and caregivers.
