USANZ & ANZUNS 2024 ASM Award Recipients
At the USANZ & ANZUNS 2024 ASM in Adelaide, the following Members were recognised with these honours:
Fellow of the Society
Fellow of the Society is the highest honour that USANZ can bestow upon a Full Member, in recognition of distinguished service to the Society and practice of urology as a whole. Congratulations to this year’s deserving recipient, Dr Peter Heathcote.
Dr Peter Heathcote graduated in medicine, from Queensland University in 1976. He spent his early years working in north Queensland hospitals. Peter was awarded FRACS Urology in 1985, followed by post-fellowship training in Cardiff and Toronto in reconstruction and oncology. Returning to Queensland in 1987, he was appointed as VMO at Princess Alexandra Hospital, a position he holds to this day, and co-founded the Brisbane Urology Clinic.
Peter is renowned for his contribution to the training of countless nurses, medical students, junior doctors, registrars and Urologists. His exceptional technical ability, high standards, affable personality, dedication to patients and unwavering support and commitment to his colleagues, our society and everything it stands for, have been the inspiration for countless urologists who have followed him.
USANZ President Prof Helen O'Connell AO, when presenting the award, shared with the audience, "At USANZ you know him as Peter Heathcote. In Queensland, he is 'The Cote'. We have a shared language that is understood here. Terms like 'I do it Cote’s way', 'Cote is the best to learn to operate with, he’s left-handed' and 'You’ve just been Coted'."
Peter, we thank you for your outstanding contributions and we honour your legacy as Fellow of the Society.
Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Medal
This honour is awarded in recognition of exceptional service and leadership that has been provided by Society members in at least one aspect of the Society's work for years. This year, the Medal was awarded to three of our esteemed Members.
Congratulations to Dr Anita Clarke. With over two decades of service as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital, her unwavering commitment to surgical education is evident. Dr Clarke's impactful leadership includes roles as Chair of Training in Urology in Victoria and Deputy Chair of the Board of Urology, where she played a pivotal role in revolutionising surgical training and improving examination processes.
In 2010, Anita broke gender barriers by becoming the first female urology examiner, further enhancing the examination process during her tenure as Senior Examiner from 2017 to 2019. Her dedication to gender equity in urology is evident through her role as the inaugural chair of the SWANZU Committee. Additionally, her contributions to microsurgical laser techniques, laparoscopy, and research have left a lasting impact on the field.
Dr Anita Clarke's multifaceted contributions to urology, spanning education, administration, examination, gender equity, and research, make her a highly deserving candidate for the award. Her unwavering dedication and pursuit of excellence in the field are truly commendable. Congratulations, Dr Anita Clarke.
We want to also congratulate the second recipient of the Society Medal this year, Dr David Webb. Recognising David’s undeniably strong positive impact and influence on the local and world urological surgery scene, this award celebrates a pioneer, an educator, a leader, a mentor, and a great friend to many in the urologic community.
David’s career is characterised by his selfless dedication to expanding knowledge and education in urology. He has acted as a supervisor, lecturer, presenter, workshop speaker or course director for local, national and international PCNL workshops and educational events in Australia, New Zealand, and around the world. He performed the first PCNL procedure in Australia and developed his own instruments for use in PCNL which are used globally with enormous economic and ethical gains, particularly in countries with limited health resources.
He has enjoyed a prolific academic career and has made a significant contribution to academic literature with 77 peer-reviewed papers, 1 book, and 7 book chapters, 26 national and international invited lectures, and 14 national and international awards for best research/presentation. The Society joins in congratulating Dr David Webb.
Dr David Winkle was the third recipient of the Society Medal, and we also congratulate him on this achievement. Dr David Winkle has contributed to USANZ extensively over his career initially as a Board member, then going on to have significant influence as Society President from 2013 to 2015. He has had a major influence on international collaboration on behalf of USANZ, initially with BAUS and EAU, and subsequently with UAA. He was the recent UAA ASM convenor and is the current President of this international body.
Throughout this time, David has been recognised by his peers for wisdom, integrity, forthrightness and guile, navigating many challenges in and around Australian and New Zealand Urology. He has tirelessly contributed throughout his career for the betterment of USANZ and is a most worthy recipient of this recognition from the Society. Congratulations, David!
The Daniel Christidis Scholarship
This scholarship was established to honour the memory of Daniel Christidis, a respected and valued SET1 Trainee Member of USANZ. To commemorate Daniel's dedication to research, this scholarship is intended to assist a current USANZ Trainee to present their research at an international urological meeting.
The recipient of this year's scholarship is Alexander Ngoo, for his project: 'A prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled multicenter trial comparing the Bard Inlay Optima and Cook Universa Soft Stent'. The abstract for the project has been submitted for presentation at EAU 2024. Alexander's co-authors on this project are Michael Kwok, Michelle Ong, Marlon Perera, Devang Desai, Phillipe Wolanski.
The Keith Kirkland Award
This award is given to the best presentation of a study by a SET Urology Trainee in the Keith Kirkland and Villis Marshall session at the USANZ ASM. The study must have research endpoints with a direct clinical impact or related to individual patient care.
Congratulations to this year's recipient, Dr Andrew Silagy for 'Percentage of free PSA as a predictive biomarker for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.'
We acknowledge the support of the Australasian Urological Foundation in funding this prize.
Villis Marshall Award
This award is given to the best presentation of a study by a SET Urology Trainee in the Keith Kirkland and Villis Marshall session at the USANZ ASM. The study must have examined epidemiological, economic or basic science/translational content as the primary outcomes.
Congratulations to this year's recipient, Kathleen Lockhart for her presentation asking, 'Can ChatGPT pass the Urology fellowship examination?: Exploring artificial intelligence’s capabilities and limitations in surgical specialty training assessment.'
We acknowledge the support of the Australasian Urological Foundation in funding this prize.
Alban Gee Award
This is an award provided by USANZ for the best poster by a USANZ Member (including SET Urology Trainees) at the ASM.
Congratulations to Dr Omid Yassaie for the presentation 'Volatile Organic Urinary Compounds in the Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer.'
Low-Arnold Award in Female and Functional Urology
This award is presented to the person with the best podium or poster presentation in the field of Female or Functional Urology by a Full Member of USANZ.
Congratulations to Dr Samanatha Pillay for the presentation 'Bladder Botulinum toxin 19-year discontinuation rates in Australian Single-Surgeon Private Practice.'
BAUS Trophy
This award was established in recognition of the Society's enduring relationship with the British Association of Urological Surgeons. It is for the best scientific podium presentation by a Full Member of USANZ.
Congratulations to Peter Gilling for the presentation 'Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of the Prostafix Water Electrolysis System for Treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: 3-month Results'
AstraZeneca Platinum Trophy
Named in honour of the ASM Platinum Sponsor, the Platinum Trophy is awarded for the best endeavour presented at the ASM by a Full Member of USANZ. We thank AstraZeneca for their generous and ongoing support of the Society.
Congratulations to Professor Nathan Lawrentschuk, winner of the 2024 Platinum Trophy for his presentation on 'Preliminary safety results of a first in human clinical trial of ADAMTM, a vas-occlusive hydrogel designed for male contraception.'
Best Oncology Presentation
The recipient of the Best Oncology Presentation will be invited to deliver the inaugural USANZ Lecture at the ANZUP ASM. ANZUP is a successful clinical trial co-operative research group in Australia, and the Society is pleased to collaborate with their ongoing research.
Congratulations to Dixon Woon for his presentation: 'A Novel, Two-Stage Approach to the Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma with Intra-Cardiac Tumour Extension and Hepatic Vein Involvement: A Case Series'.
ANZUNS Awards
In addition to the USANZ Awards, ANZUNS presented the ANZUNS Nursing Professional Development Diamond Award to Russell Briggs.