PROFESSOR OF PAEDIATRIC INFECTION AND IMMUNITYSir Andrew is Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford and an honorary consultant paediatrician at Oxford Children’s Hospital. He was the chief investigator for the clinical trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, which led to authorisation of the vaccine for use in more than 175 countries with over 2.5 billion doses distributed by the end of 2021. He was awarded a knighthood by HM Queen Elizabeth for this work. His research includes the design, development and clinical evaluation of vaccines in UK, Asia, Africa and Latin America, including those for COVID-19, typhoid, meningococcus, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcus, plague, pertussis, influenza, rabies, coronavirus and Ebola. His numerous international honours include the Bill Marshall Award of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease and the Rosén von Rosenstein medal  by the Swedish Paediatric Society and the Swedish Society of Medicine.  He made the first British ascent of Jaonli (6632m) in 1988 and Chamlang in 1991 (7309m) and was the Deputy leader of the successful 1994 British Medical Everest Expedition.

Prof Sir Andrew Pollard (Oxford)

Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, MD FRCP FMedSci FRS

One of the most celebrated physician scientists in Europe, Stephen O’Rahilly holds the Chair of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine at the University of Cambridge, UK. His research has uncovered several previously unrecognised genetic causes of obesity including some that are amenable to specific treatments. His particular focus is on the translation of those discoveries into improvements in patient care. He led the establishment of the Wellcome-MRC (Medical Research Council) Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS), and remains as Co-Director. He is also Scientific Director, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.

His many awards include the Heinrich Wieland Prize, the Inbev Baillet Latour Prize, the Zülch Prize, the European Hormone Medal, the Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement and the Manpei Suzuki Prize.
He gave the Harveian Oration of the Royal College of Physicians, London, in 2016. He was elected to the Royal Society in 2003, a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences USA in 2011, and is an Honorary Member of the German Society for Internal Medicine. He was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2013.  
 

Prof Sir Stephen O'Rahilly (Cambridge)

Dr Burns is a paediatric otolaryngologist at Queensland Children’s Hospital and a partner of Northside ENT Brisbane ,Queensland, Australia. Hannah undertook advanced specialty training in otolaryngology in Queensland, gained her fellowship in 2008 and spent 18 months at  Evelina Children’s Hospital, London sub-specialising in paediatric ENT. 

She holds a senior lecturer position with the University of Queensland and is Queensland state supervisor of training in otolaryngology and head surgery. Hannah developed, and annually runs the only paediatric airway course in Australia. Collaborating with other departments and specialist groups she has presented papers, locally, nationally and internationally exploring all facets of paediatric otolaryngology. Dr Burns is a co-investigator in an NHMRC  and Garnet Passe and Rodney Williams funded study exploring neurocognitive benefits of adenotonsillctomy in preschool children. She is also a chief investigator in the HAMSTER study looking at the role of high-flow oxygen for paediatric airway surgery. In conjunction with Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit, Kids Safe, Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, Retrieval Queensland and a number of dedicated practitioners she is a strong advocate for improved button battery safety. 

Dr Burns is an active member of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and in 2021 was awarded the Society medal for Distinguished Contribution to the Art and Science of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. She has been on the academic committee for three ASOHNS scientific meetings.  Through these avenues she has supported the role of women in otolaryngology and promoted diversity throughout the specialty. As a member of Australian and New Zealand Society of Paediatric Otolaryngology she developed a monthly teaching program for Australasian Paediatric ENT fellows and is a scientific convenor for the upcoming South Pacific ORL forum in Fiji 2023. Dr Burns is a reviewer for a number of journals including Australian Journal of Otolaryngology.

Dr Hannah Burns
(Queensland)