New Tricks

Emeritus Professor Richard G. Larkins, AORichard Graeme Larkins was born in Melbourne in 1943. He graduated as the top medical graduate at the University of Melbourne in 1966. He was awarded a PhD by the University of London in 1974. His career since then has encompassed clinical medicine, specialising in diabetes and endocrinology, clinical and laboratory research, medical education at under­graduate and post­graduate levels, medical and university leadership. He has held many senior academic and leadership roles including James Stewart Professor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne and vice-chancellor and president of Monash University. In addition, he has been chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council, president of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, chair of Universities Australia and chair of both the Medical School and Specialist Education Accreditation Committee of the Australian Medical Council. He has been a member of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council and on two occasions a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. He has held numerous other posts on government committees in Australia and Asia.He has published 200 refereed research papers, reviews and chapters and has co-authored or edited five books. He is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the Academies of Medicine of Singapore and of Malaysia and of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He is an honorary fellow of the American College of Physicians, the Ceylon College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand. He has been awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees at both Monash University and the University of Melbourne. He has been awarded the Eric Susman Prize for Medical Research by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Sir William Upjohn Medal for Distinguished Service to Medicine and the Brownless Medal for outstanding contribution to the Melbourne Medical School and a Centenary of Federation Medal. He is a fellow of Melbourne’s Trinity College, an officer in the general division of the Order of Australia and an emeritus professor at Monash University. He remains active in a number of leadership roles in health and education.