Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla Sheath (1926 - 2015)

Summary

Priscilla Kincaid-Smith was Director of Nephrology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital 1967-1991, Professor of Medicine, University of Melbourne 1975-1991 and Physician in Nephrology, Royal Women's Hospital 1976-1991. Around the early 1960s she demonstrated overwhelming evidence of the link between headache powders and kidney damage and campaigned strongly against their use. She also made substantial contributions to research on the link between the kidneys and high blood pressure. Kincaid-Smith later worked in the Department of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Details

Chronology

1946

Education - Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc(Hons)), Witwatersrand University

1950

Education - Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Bachelor of Surgery (BCh), Witwatersrand University

1951 - 1953

Career position - Resident positions in Medicine and Surgery, and Registrar in Medicine at Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa

1953 - 1955

Career position - Training for Diploma in Clinical Pathology and Registrar in Morbid Anatomy at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London

1954

Education - Diploma of Clinical Pathology (DCP), London University

1956 - 1958

Career position - Registrar and Senior Registrar appointments in Medicine at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital in London and Obstetric Liaison Officer reviewing all medical complications of pregnancy

1959 - 1960

Career position - Research Fellow in the Clinical Research Unit at the Baker Institute and Alfred Hospital

1959 - 1965

Career position - Honorary Physician at the Queen Victoria Hospital, Melbourne

1961 - 1965

Career position - Senior Associate in Medicine in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne

1961 - 1966

Career position - Senior Research Fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Council and Senior Research Fellow at the Wellcome Fellowship

1964 - 1965

Career position - Clinical Instructor and part-time Lecturer, Monash University

1966

Career position - Associate in Medicine at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Senior Research Fellow at the National Health and Medical Research Council

1966

Career position - Honorary Physician at The Royal Melbourne Hospital

1967 - 1968

Career position - First Assistant in Medicine in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne

1968

Education - Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Melbourne

1969

Award - Director of Nephrology at the Epworth Hospital. Eric Sussman Prize, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

1969 - 1975

Career position - Reader in Medicine, University of Melbourne

1970 - 1972

Career position - President, Australasian Society of Nephrology

1972 - 1975

Career position - President, International Society of Nephrology

1975

Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

1975 - 1991

Career position - Professor of Medicine, University of Melbourne

1979

Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), Witwatersrand University

1980 - 1984

Career position - Chairman, Macfarlane Burnet Scholarship Selection Committee

1986 - 1988

Career position - President, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

1986 - 1990

Career position - President, Asian Pacific Society of Nephrology

1986 - 1997

Career position - Chairman, National Specialist Qualification Advisory Committee

1988 - 1991

Career position - Chairman, Specialist Appeal Committee 1988 and Chairman of the Victorian AIDs Advisory Committee

1988 - 1997

Career position - Chairman of the Working Party, Specialist Advisory Committee

1989

Award - David Hume Award, National Kidney Foundation (USA) Inc. New York

1989

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) - For service to medicine, particularly in the field of Nephrology

1989 - 1996

Career position - Chairman, Board of Directors at Australian Medical Publishing Company

1990

Award - Leon Chesley Award, International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy

1990 - 1995

Career position - Chairman, Australian Medical Association Federal Council

1991 -

Career position - Professor Emeritus, University of Melbourne

1991 -

Career position - Chairman, Ministerial Advisory Committee on AIDS

1991

Award - Doctor of Laws (LLD), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

1991 - 1993

Career position - President, Australasian Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy

1992

Award - Sir William Upjohn Medal (for distinguished service to Medicine to any Graduate of any University) from the University of Melbourne

1992 - 1994

Career position - President, International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy

1993

Award - John F. Peters Award, American Society of Nephrology

1994 - 1995

Career position - President, World Medical Association

1996

Award - Life Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Physicians

1997 -

Career position - Chairman, Human Services Task Force for Women's Health

1997

Award - Jean Hamburger Award (nephrology)

1997

Award - Australian Achiever Award, National Australia Day Council

1997

Award - 75th Jubilee Medal (Health Sciences), University of Witwatersrand

1998 -

Career position - Chairman, Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs - Korean Veteran's Mortality Study - Study Advisory committee

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

• McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

Articles

• Buzacott-Speer, Eliza, 'Obituary: Taboo-breaking doctor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith remembered as trailblazer for women', ABC News (2015), http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-21/trailblazing-female-scientist-priscilla-kincaid-smith-remembered/6637276. Details

Journal Articles

• Anon, '[Reitrment of] Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith', Chiron: journal of the University of Melbourne Medical Society, 2 (5) (1992), 27. Details
• Cameron, J.S., 'Presentation of the 1997 Jean Hamburger Award to Renee Habib and Priscilla Kincaid-Smith', Kidney International, 51 (1997), 2056-2062. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4793898. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/120125711. Details
• 'Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla (1926-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-494357. Details
• 'Awarded honorary LLD, 1991', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla Sheath (1926-), Biographical Entry', in Australian Women's Archives Project, National Foundation for Australian Women, 2002, http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/IMP0107b.htm. Details
• Blythe, Max, 'Interview with Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith', in Interviews with Australian scientists, Australian Academy of Science, 2 April 1998, https://www.science.org.au/learning/general-audience/history/interviews-australian-scientists/professor-priscilla-kincaid-smith. Details