SAHMRI community members honoured on Australia Day

28 Jan 2025

A SAHMRI research leader, a Founding Ambassador and another dedicated supporter have all been recognised for their diverse contributions to our nation with inclusion in the Australia Day Honours list.

Professor Stephen McDonald AM, the Executive Director of the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA), has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia while SAHMRI Founding Ambassador Dr Pamela Wall AO was Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia and long-time SAHMRI supporter and advocate Mrs Lan Le OAM was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

SAHMRI Executive Director Professor Maria Makrides warmly congratulated the trio on behalf of the SAHMRI community.

“We are thrilled for these national acknowledgements, demonstrating your vast and diverse accomplishments to improve community health,” she said.

Prof Stephen McDonald AM has been recognised for significant service to kidney medicine

Professor McDonald was officially commended ‘For significant service to kidney medicine as an administrator, researcher and clinician’. Early in his career he saw first hand the devastating effect that kidney disease can have while working in remote Aboriginal communities. As well as leading the SAHMRI-based ANZDATA registry, Professor McDonald has been responsible for the delivery of 13 dialysis centres across SA and holds several clinical positions.

Dr Wall becomes an Officer of the Order of Australia ‘For distinguished service to the community through charitable support and philanthropic contributions, and to the community of South Australia’. She, and her late husband Dr Ian Wall AM, have been supporting SAHMRI in many ways since its inception also support several other causes.

“I feel very honoured that, at this stage of my life, I’m doing everything I feel I can do to help charities,” Dr Wall told The Advertiser.

Mrs Le has been closely involved with SAHMRI for years. As former Governor, her husband Hieu Van Le AC was the institute’s patron, while SAHMRI is just one of many charities that Mrs Le contributes to. Mr Le is the current Chair of the SAHMRI Board.

“This recognition really motivates me to continue to do more work with the community, it reminds me anything is possible when you work together for a better community, a better country,” she said.