Judith Whitworth

{{short description|Australian renal medical researcher and Chief Medical Officer}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name =Judith Whitworth

| office = Chief Medical Officer

| order =

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| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC|FRACP}}

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| predecessor =

| successor = Richard Smallwood

| birth_name = Judith Ann Whitworth

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|04|01|df=y}}

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| nationality = Australian

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| profession = medical doctor

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| term_start = 1997

| term_end = 1999

| education = University of Melbourne

}}{{Scholia}}

Judith Ann Whitworth (born 1 April 1944) is an Australian medical researcher in the areas of kidney function and blood pressure. Now an emeritus professor, she is the former director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research and Howard Florey Professor of Medical Research at the Australian National University (ANU).{{Cite web|url=http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004388b.htm|title=Whitworth, Judith Ann|last=Smith|first=Ailie|website=Encyclopedia of Australian Science|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-07-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.therapeuticinnovation.com.au/board-members|title=Governance|website=Therapeutic Innovation Australia|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}}

Education

Judith Ann Whitworth was born 1 April 1944. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree in medicine in 1967 then worked first at Royal Melbourne Hospital and then the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide. She was awarded Doctor of Medicine by the University of Melbourne in 1974.{{Cite web|url=http://sydney.edu.au/arms/archives/history/HonWhitworthJ.shtml|title=Honorary awards - ARMS - The University of Sydney|website=The University of Sydney|access-date=2018-07-12}} Her 1977 thesis on "Steroids and Hypertension in the Sheep gained her a PhD from the Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine and Department of Physiology at the University of Melbourne.{{Cite thesis|last=Whitworth|first=Judith A|title=Steroids and hypertension in the sheep|date=1977|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/42424213|language=en}}

In 1992, Whitworth received a DSc from the University of Melbourne for her thesis, "Steroid Hypertension in Man, Rat and Sheep."{{Cite thesis|last=Whitworth|first=Judith A|title=Collected papers concerning studies in experimental hypertension in man, rat and sheep, with particular emphasis on steroid induced hypertension|date=1990|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/version/43037157|language=en}}

Career

Prior to her move to academia, Whitworth worked in hospitals both in Australia and overseas, including as Research Fellow at the Tenon Hospital in Paris, France in 1973-74 and as Visiting Registrar at Guy's Hospital, London in 1974–75. She was first physician and later nephrologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital 1978–1991. From 1994 to 1996 Whitworth was chair of the Medical Research Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council.{{Cite web|url=https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/engage/community/awards-and-honours/professor-judith-ann-whitworth-ac|title=Professor Judith Ann Whitworth AC : Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences|date=2016-11-22|website=Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-12}}

In 1997, Whitworth was the first woman to be appointed chief medical officer in the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services for a three-year term.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15420778-300-changing-places/|title=Changing places|date=12 April 1997|work=New Scientist|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en-US}} She then became Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research from August 1999 to July 2009.{{Cite news|url=http://citynews.com.au/2014/judith-whitworth-fellowship-gender-equity-science-established-john-curtin-school-medical-research/|title=Judith Whitworth Fellowship for Gender Equity in Science established at the John Curtin School of Medical Research|date=2014-07-23|work=Canberra CityNews|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en-US}} Alongside her academic responsibilities she was president of the High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia from 1999 to 2001{{Cite news|url=http://www.hbprca.com.au/about/history/|title=History - High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia|work=High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en-US}} and chair of the World Health Organisation Global Advisory Committee on Health Research from 2005 to 2011.

Whitworth was honoured to present the Paddy Woolcock Lecture at the biennial Woolcock gala held by the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation in 2014. Earlier lectures had been given by Professor Peter Doherty and Professor Fiona Wood.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tpchfoundation.org.au/Content/docs/Vital-Steps-June-2014.pdf|title=Vital Steps, p2, Woolcock gala|date=June 2014|website=The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation|access-date=12 July 2018}}

She has been a member of the council of the Charles Darwin University from its inception in 2003 to date.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdu.edu.au/strategicservices-governance/committees/council/judith-whitworth|title=Prof Judith Whitworth AC|website=Charles Darwin University|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}} She is on the Board of Therapeutic Innovation Australia and chair of its Clinical Trials Infrastructure Committee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.therapeuticinnovation.com.au/expert-committees|title=Expert Committees|website=Therapeutic Innovation Australia|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}}

Awards and honours

Winthrop Travelling Fellowship from Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 1973
Smith Kline and French Award received from the International Society of Hypertension, 1984
Howard Florey Medal, 1990
Appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to the advancement of academic medicine and as a major contributor to research policy and medical research administration in Australia and internationally".{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/883322|title=WHITWORTH, Judith Ann|website=It's an Honour, Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet|access-date=2018-07-12}}
Received the Centenary Medal in 2001 "services to Australian society through medical research".{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1126849|title=WHITWORTH, Judith Ann|website=It's an Honour - Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet|access-date=2018-07-12}}
Appointed Honouring Woman ambassador by the Hon Amanda Vanstone in 2002.{{Cite web|url=https://formerministers.dss.gov.au/441/media_r_22012002_1/|title=Honouring Women|last=Vanstone|first=Senator the Hon Amanda|date=22 January 2002|website=Former Ministers of Department of Social Services|language=en-US|access-date=2018-07-12}}
Telstra ACT Business Woman of the Year, 2002
Australian of the Year for the Australian Capital Territory in 2004{{Cite web|url=http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/women/act-womens-honour-roll/2004/professor-judith-whitworth-ac|title=Professor Judith Whitworth AC|date=2004|website=ACT Government Community Services|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}}
Awarded Doctor of Medicine (honoris causa) by the University of Sydney on 16 April 2004
Awarded Honorary Doctor of Science by the University of Glasgow in 2008{{Cite web|url=https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2008/may/headline_77226_en.html|title=Honorary Degrees for outstanding work in life sciences|website=University of Glasgow|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}}
Awarded Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) by the University of Melbourne
Elected Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, 2015{{Cite web|url=http://www.aahms.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AAHMS-New-Fellows-6-Oct-2015.pdf|title=Academy Announces the Induction of New Fellows|date=6 October 2015|website=Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences|access-date=12 July 2018|archive-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117015833/http://www.aahms.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AAHMS-New-Fellows-6-Oct-2015.pdf|url-status=dead}}
Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2008
Honorary Life Member of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology

Legacy

The Judith Whitworth Fellowship for Gender Equity in Science was inaugurated in 2014 in recognition of her work at the Australian National University. It will provide early support for young scientists, particularly women, to take leave to care for their child.{{Cite news|url=http://www.anu.edu.au/giving/support-us/advancing-our-nation/judith-whitworth-fellowship-endowment|title=Judith Whitworth Fellowship Endowment|date=2018-01-29|work=ANU|access-date=2018-07-12|language=en}}

Selected works

{{Citation |author1=Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla, 1926–2015 |author2=Whitworth, Judith A |author3=Allen & Hanburys |title=Hypertension, mechanisms and management |year=1982 |publication-date=1982 |publisher=Adis Health Science Press |isbn=978-0-86792-005-5}}
{{Citation |author1=Firkin, Barry G |author2=Whitworth, Judith A |title=Dictionary of medical eponyms |year=1987 |publication-date=1987 |publisher=Parthenon Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-940813-15-1}}
{{Citation | author1=Lawrence, J. R. (James Roland), 1930- | author2=Whitworth, Judith A | title=Textbook of renal disease | year=1987 | publication-date=1987 | publisher=Churchill Livingstone | isbn=978-0-443-02853-3 }}
{{Citation | author1=Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla | author2=Whitworth, Judith A | title=The kidney : a clinico-pathological study | year=1987 | publication-date=1987 | publisher=Blackwell Scientific | edition= 2nd | isbn=978-0-86793-120-4 }}
{{Citation | author1=Hunyor, S. (Stephen) | author2=Whitworth, Judith A | title=Hypertension management | year=1990 | publication-date=1990 | publisher=Maclennan & Petty | isbn=978-0-86433-052-9 }}
{{Citation | author1=Becker, Gavin J | author2=Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla, 1926-2015 | author3=Whitworth, Judith A | title=Clinical nephrology in medical practice | year=1992 | publication-date=1992 | publisher=Blackwell Scientific Publications | isbn=978-0-632-03167-2 }}

Personal life

Whitworth was the second wife of the late Professor John Ludbrook, (1929–2017), a medical researcher and surgeon. They had one daughter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.surgeons.org/member-services/in-memoriam/john-ludbrook/|title=John Ludbrook|website=Royal Australasian College of Surgeons|language=en|access-date=2018-07-12}}