John Studdy, Multiple Sclerosis Australia (MSA) and Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA) would like to congratulate Prof William Carroll on being awarded the prestigious John Studdy Award.
The John Studdy Award is given annually to an individual in recognition of their outstanding, consistent and selfless provision of meritorious service to people with MS.
Prof William Carroll has served on the Board of Multiple Sclerosis Society of Western Australia since 1996. In addition to being one of the country’s most eminent neurologists, Bill performs a leadership role throughout the world as both an expert and an advocate for people with MS.
As part of that role, Prof Carroll served as Chair for the Australian staging of the World Neurology Conference that saw over 5,000 international specialists and scientists visit Australia in 2005.
Since then Prof Carroll has been instrumental in setting up the Pan-Asian Committee on Treatment and Research of Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS). This has been instrumental in acknowledging the spread of MS through Asia and the need to address its unique nature. PACTRIMS also started its annual Conferences in 2008 and these have gathered considerable strength since.
Prof Carroll joined the Board of Multiple Sclerosis Australia in 2000 and has been contributing significantly to the Board’s ability to deal with the clinical and medical research issues that continually arise.
Prof Carroll made a significant contribution in promoting the idea and helping to subsequently establish Multiple Sclerosis Research Australia (MSRA).
Prof Carroll was a Foundation Board member of MSRA (from 2004) and has remained a member till now. At the same time he has chaired the two main Scientific Committees of MSRA:
- In the capacity as Chair of the (international) Research Review Board, Prof Carroll has both sought opinion about and helped formulate a research strategy for MSRA that is respected widely and has proved to be the most productive and practical strategies possible for Australia’s role in accelerating world MS research.
- In the capacity as Chair of the Research Management Council, Prof Carroll continues to oversee the annual grant application and review procedure, which is a key aspect of MSRA’s operation and a significant reason for MSRA’s high reputation in the medical research community.
In his broader capacity with MSRA, Prof Carroll has championed many initiatives, such as the Australian MS Longitudinal Study, the MSRA Brain Bank, the Clinical Trials Network and the concept of Platform projects that have all significantly benefitted MS research in Australia.
Prof Carroll has also acted as Medical spokesperson and expert advocate for MSRA and MS Australia and in that capacity he has consistently provided balanced commentary on the many issues that regularly have to be addressed in the media and at times with the Australian Government.
Prof Carroll has been a long serving and outstanding contributor to the MS cause in many aspects - that have been, and continue to be of benefit to people with MS, both in Australia and around the world.
John Studdy said “for all of these achievements and for Prof Carroll’s own exceptional clinical support for people with MS, he was most definitely the inspired choice for the 2011 award”.
Previous recipients
- 2010 – Simon McKeon
- 2009 – David Barnes / Carol Cooke
- 2008 – Zona Tripp OAM
- 2007 – Dr Leslie Sedal M.B, B.S, FRACP, M Ed
- 2006 – David Conry
- 2005 – Michael Stewart OAM
- 2004 – Graham Tribe
- 2003 – Jim Conway
- 2002 – Ann Langley
- 2001 – Elizabeth Ann Zanna Barron
- 2000 – Mrs Thonad AM
- 1999 – Yvonne Smith
