2008 Alumni Award for Professional Achievement

Professor Creswell Eastman receives the Alumni Award for Professional Achievement for his internationally-recognised efforts in tackling iodine deficiency disorders.

Cres began his career as a Research Fellow in Endocrinology at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. He later took up the reins of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Woden Valley and Canberra Hospitals before going on to senior appointments at Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney, where he became Clinical Professor of Medicine (Pathology) in 1990.

A ruling passion of Cres's professional life is combating iodine deficiency, a condition which results in cretinism and goitre and poses a serious public health problem around the world. For over 25 years, he has made frequent trips to Tibet and China, directing major research projects into iodine deficiency disorders there as well as in Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia Indonesia and Pacific islands. In 1985, he launched a major Australian aid effort to prevent the disorders in rural China. He also developed the concept for a national reference laboratory on iodine deficiency disorders in China and raised over $1 million to establish it. Furthermore, Cres has made a significant contribution to the issue through his consulting work for national governments and for AusAID, UNICEF,World Bank and the WHO and through his role as Deputy Chairman of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. His many appearances in the Australian media have also played a key role in raising the profile of the issue in the community. Cres's stellar professional achievements have earned him a number of prestigious honours including a Member of the Order of Australia and the AMA Award for Excellence in Delivery of Health Care.