Cardiology clinicians, researchers and surgeons have made this year’s Australia Day Honours List for their contributions to medicine.

Professor Richard Harper AM

Professor Richard Harper was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his “significant service to cardiology, to medical research and to professional associations”. The interventional cardiologist and CSANZ fellow was Monash Medical Centre’s first Director of Cardiology and, later, Interim Director of MonashHeart.

With 35 years at Monash Health, several board and committee roles, 171 refereed publications and a previous pro bono service for East Timorese patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis, Professor Harper “is a clinician whose care has spanned the breadth of cardiology, and importantly, includes not only a focus on bringing new advances to the clinic, but to make sure the most vulnerable in our community and the broader Asia Pacific region are not left behind”, current MonashHeart Director Professor Stephen Nicholls told Monash Health.

CSANZ fellows Associate Professor Leeanne Grigg and Professor William Heddle also received Honours for making “significant” contributions to cardiology, professional societies and education.

Royal Melbourne Hospital Divisional Director of Cardiovascular, Renal and Endocrine Services Associate Professor Grigg received an AM for her “significant service to cardiology, and to professional societies”. She’s served on the organisation’s Echocardiography Working Party, Victorian Committee and Australian Resuscitation Council, is a Congenital Heart Alliance of Australia and New Zealand Steering Committee Member and was once Vice President of the National Heart Foundation of Australia.

Meanwhile, SA Heart Chairman and co-founder Professor Heddle was recognised with an AM for his “significant service to cardiology, to tertiary education, and to professional associations”. The arrhythmia-focused consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist has worked extensively with the Royal College of Physicians, Prostheses List Advisory Committee, Australian Medical Association and Australian Association of Consultant Physicians and is currently Associate Dean and Head of Flinders Southern Adelaide Clinical School, School of Medicine at Flinders University.

CSANZ congratulated its fellows on their recent achievement.

Congratulations to CSANZ Fellows awarded with Member of the Order of Australia for their service to cardiology in medical research and tertiary education announced yesterday.
A/Prof Leeanne Grigg AM, Prof Richard Harper AM,
Prof Bill Heddle AM @TheRMH @MonashHeart @Flinders

— CSANZ (@thecsanz) January 27, 2022

The Australia Day Honours continued with a medal (OAM) for Professor Helge Rasmussen for his “service to medicine as a cardiologist”. He consults at the Royal North Shore and North Shore Private hospitals, with special interests in interventional and diagnostic cardiac angiography and catheterisation, according to his hospital profile.

Professor Paul Norman was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to medicine in the field of vascular surgery”. He’s currently operating at Fiona Stanley Hospital while teaching and researching at the University of Western Australia. His research interests include “all aspects of abdominal aortic aneurysm, the epidemiology and management of peripheral arterial disease, the pathogenesis of diabetic arterial disease and the assessment of cardiovascular risk”, his university profile reads.