Our Patrons

The Busselton Population Medical Research Institute’s Patrons include:

Dr Michael Chaney OA CitWA – Patron

“This population research conducted in this project has resulted in a rich store of health data, biospecimens and scientific publications. The fact that the data is population-based makes this collection unique and promises significant health outcomes for West Australians”.

Dr Chaney graduated with Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from The University of Western Australia in 1972 and 1980 respectively. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1992 and has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from The University of Western Australia.

After obtaining his science degree, Dr Chaney worked for eight years as a petroleum geologist in Australia and the United States. He joined the Australian Industry Development Corporation in 1980 as a corporate finance executive and became Manager for Western Australia in 1981. He joined Wesfarmers in 1983 as Company Secretary and Administration Manager, became Finance Director in 1984 and was appointed Managing Director in July 1992. He retired from that position in July 2005.

Dr Chaney is Chairman of the National Australia Bank Limited, Woodside Petroleum Limited and Gresham Partners Holdings Limited. He is a member of the JP Morgan International Council and a Director of the Centre for Independent Studies. Dr Chaney was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2004 for services to business and the community.

Professor Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate – Scientific Patron

“This rich stockpile data and bio-specimens is a unique Western Australia resource for researchers all over of the world and its value increases as further studies continue. In my own case, I have made use of the family-linked data and serum samples to understand the spread of Helicobacter in the community. This contributed to the weight of evidence that resulted in the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Medicine to me and Robin Warren in 2005″.

Nobel Laureate Professor Marshall has received numerous awards including the Florey Medal (1998), the Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award (2001), the Inaugural Premier’s Prize for Achievement in Science, Perth (2002) and the Japanese Keio Medical Science Prize (2002).

Professor Marshall graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1974 and trained as a physician at Royal Perth Hospital until 1983. In 1981 he began the collaboration with Robin Warren which led to the culture of Helicobacter pylori in 1982, and recognition of the association between H.pylori, gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer in the subsequent years. In 1983 and 1984 he carried out further studies in diagnosis and treatment of H.pylori at Fremantle Hospital, and the following year was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to determine the effect of antibiotics on peptic ulcer relapse. Further scholarships followed at the University of Virginia in the United States, where he worked as a Research Fellow, Gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine between 1986 and 1996. He returned to Western Australia on sabbatical in 1997, and in 1998 was funded again by the NHMRC to continue his work on H.pylori as the Burnet Fellow.

Professor Marshall is Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and a Fellow of the British Royal Society. He currently works as a microbiologist at the University of WA, part-time Gastroenterologist at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and has an H.pylori Research Laboratory on the QEII Medical Centre site close to the University of Western Australia.