The Heaslip Bequest for Health

Emeritus Professor Peter McDonald AM was the inaugural head of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Flinders University. In that role he joined the team that initiated the Flinders Medical Curriculum and established clinical and laboratory services for infectious diseases at Flinders Medical Centre. From Flinders, his research into antibiotic dosing was applied internationally to reduce the rate of sepsis after surgery and employed in developing new antibiotics. As Chair of the Commonwealth AIDS Research Grants committee, he coordinated research in Australia that underpinned the control of HIV in Australia and contributed to global control. Professor McDonald played a role in health system reform by leading South Australian trials in coordinating health care and developing national infection-control guidelines. He was awarded AM for services to Infectious Diseases and control of HIV/AIDS.

Robert Fitzsimons (PhD) has a special interest in South Australian history - one of several fields of historical research in which he was engaged over many years at Flinders University.

Peter Preece is the grandson of W.G. (Gordon) Heaslip, who provided access to the Heaslip Diaries and facilitated contact with Gordon’s family.