| Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Executive Dean Professor D... Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Executive Dean Professor Don Iverson, who has been honoured by the National Breast Council Foundation for his work on reshaping its national research program |
Breast Cancer Foundation honour for Iverson
19 Feb 2008 | Nick Hartgerink
The National Breast Cancer Foundation has honoured UOW’s Professor Don Iverson for his role in establishing a national breast cancer research program.
NSW Governor Professor Marie Bashir presented Professor Iverson with the foundation’s Award for Innovation at the Annual Pink Ribbon Awards at Government House on 18 February.
Professor Iverson, who is Executive Dean of UOW’s Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, led a review of Australia’s priorities for breast cancer research in 2003, which resulted in the development of a national research plan.
In its citation for the award, the foundation described Professor Iverson as the driving force behind many of the innovations introduced into its research program.
Professor Iverson, who had wide experience in cancer research in Canada and the United States before joining UOW in 2001, made a range of key recommendations for the development of a national research program for breast cancer which have all been successfully adopted.
These included approving large scale research projects over five to 10 years; establishing a fund for special infrastructure such as a national tissue bank that researchers across Australia had access to; funding novel ideas that were possibly high-risk but had the potential to deliver high returns; and changing the research grants process to facilitate innovation.
He also initiated the very successful annual Global Illumination Consular Corps dinners which launch the annual Pink Ribbon campaign.
Professor Iverson continues to serve on the foundation’s committees.
Wollongong people took two of the three awards, with Dr Margaret Gardiner receiving the Community Involvement Award for her titeless fund-raising work in the local community.
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