Person

Alpers, Michael Philip (1935 - 2024)

AO FAA FRS

Born
21 August 1935
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died
3 December 2024
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation
Epidemiologist and Medical scientist

Summary

Michael Alpers is internationally renowned for his research into tropical diseases in Papua New Guinea. In particular he made crucial observations on the epidemiology, pathogenesis and aetiology of the prion disease kuru, and showed that this was a communicable disease. His studies in this area were critical in understanding other prion diseases, including Creutzfeld-Jacob disease and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). He also made important field studies of malaria and pneumonia. Between 1977 and 2000 Alpers was Director of the Institute of Medical Research, Papua New Guinea. His research during this time made the Institute of world importance. In 2001 he moved to Western Australia where he was John Curtin Distinguished Professor of International Health at Curtin University for 11 years. His work is acknowledged with Honorary Fellowship or Life Membership of leading Australian and international societies in the fields of tropical and infectious diseases and epidemiology.

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Chronology

1955
Education - BSc, University of Adelaide
1957
Education - MA, University of Cambridge
1961
Education - MB BS, University of Adelaide
1961 - 1963
Career position - Kuru Research Officer, Department of Public Health, Papua New Guinea
1964 - 1967
Career position - Visiting Scientist, National Institutes of Health, U.S.A.
1968 - 1976
Career position - Research Fellow (later Senior Research Fellow), University of Western Australia
1977 - 2000
Career position - Director, Institute of Medical Research, Papua New Guinea
1981 - 2024
Award - Fellow, Indian Society for Malaria and Other Communicable Diseases
1983 - 1990
Career position - Member, Research Strengthening Group, Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organisation (WHO)
1984
Award - Medal of the Collège de France
1984 - 1999
Career position - Editor, Papua New Guinea medical journal
1989 - 2024
Award - Life Member, Pacific Science Association
1990
Award - Macdonald Medal, Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
1991 - 2024
Award - Fellow, World Academy of Sciences
1992 - ?
Award - Fellow, Centre for Human Biology, University of Western Australia
1993 - 2024
Award - Honorary Fellow, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
1999
Lecture - Macfarlane Burnet Orator, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
1999 - 2014
Career position - Member, Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee, External Research Evaluation Committee, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
1999 - 2024
Award - Honorary Life Member, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases
2000 - 2024
Award - Emeritus Member, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
2001 - 2004
Career position - Adjunct Professor, Centre for International Health, Curtin University of Technology
2001 - 2012
Career position - Member, National Health and Medical Research Council
2001 - 2024
Career position - Fellow, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
2002 - 2024
Award - Life Member, Medical Society of Papua New Guinea
2004 - ?
Award - Honorary Senior Fellow, Institute of Neurology, University College, London
2004
Life event - Retired
2005
Award - Papua New Guinea Jubilee Medal
2005
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to medical science as a leading international researcher in the fields of tropical medicine and public health, including research on the disease Kuru, and for contributions to improving health and economic development in Papua New Guinea
2005 - 2016
Career position - John Curtin Distinguished Professor of International Health, Curtin University
2006 - 2015
Career position - Member, Research Advisory Committee, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health
2008
Award - Lifetime Achievement Award, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University
2008 - 2024
Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London
2011 - 2024
Award - Life Member, Australasian Epidemiological Association
2012
Award - Doctor of the University (honoris causa), University of Adelaide
2012 - 2024
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
2015 - 2024
Award - Honorary Fellow, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine
2017 - 2024
Career position - Emeritus Professor, Curtin University
2020
Award - ANZAAS Medal, Australian New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
2025 - 2024
Award - Fellow, Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research

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Helen Cohn

Created: 29 May 2025

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"... the rengitj, as a visible mark or imprint on the land, is characterised as a place of origin, the repository of all names, as well as a kind of mapped visual expression of the connection between people and places which is to be carried out in the temporal sequence of the journey." Fanca Tamisari (1998) 'Body, Vision and Movement: In the footprints of the ancestors'. Oceania 68(4) p260