Professor Caroline McMillen, AO, Chief Scientist for South Australia, at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Alumni, former staff, and members of the wider University of Adelaide community have been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours.
Among the recipients is the Chief Scientist for South Australia, Professor Caroline McMillen, who has received an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her “distinguished service to medical science, and to tertiary education, to the community of South Australia, and to social equity”.
A graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge universities, Professor McMillen is a former staff member of the University of Adelaide, serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology from 1992-2005.
Last year, she was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University (honoris causa) from the University of Adelaide, in acknowledgement of her outstanding contribution to health and medical science, and to leadership in research and higher education.
“It is very pleasing to see this Queen’s Birthday honour being awarded to Professor Caroline McMillen,” says the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mike Brooks.
“Professor McMillen has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to South Australia and the nation through her internationally regarded research, and through her senior leadership roles in research and education. We congratulate her for this well-deserved recognition.”
Professor Brooks paid tribute to the many alumni, titleholders, former staff, affiliates and friends of the University of Adelaide who have been recognised in this latest round of Queen’s Birthday honours.
“Every member of our University community named in Australia’s honours has made a unique and indelible impact in their fields of endeavour, for the benefit of industry and our society. Their achievements span fields such as science, education, law, history, wine, food, tourism, and health, and they are a further reminder of the University’s longstanding history of excellence and leadership.”
The full list of all University of Adelaide Queen’s Birthday honours recipients is available on the University’s .
Notable recipients for 2020 include:
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
Professor Isabella Caroline McMillen, AO – for distinguished service to medical science, and to tertiary education, to the community of South Australia, and to social equity.
Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology, University of Adelaide, from 1992-2005. Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President: Research and Innovation, University of South Australia, from 2006-2011. Vice-Chancellor, University of Newcastle, from 2011-2018. Chief Scientist for South Australia, from 2018. Recipient of the Doctor of the University (honoris causa), University of Adelaide, 2019.
As a medical and health researcher, Professor McMillen is internationally recognised for her work into the impact of the nutritional environment before birth on the risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic disease in adult life. She is an esteemed leader in the higher education sector in Australia, having dedicated more than 30 years to higher education, and has held leadership roles across research, innovation and teaching.
