We founded the Critical Care Research Group in 2004. The purpose behind the group has not changed—we're about changing patient outcomes through a better understanding of the disease process, of the technology and of the treatment.

Since 2004, inspired by Doctor John McCarthy, my mentor and teacher, the group has grown from myself, an admin assistant and a lost dog to the largest multidisciplinary critical care research group in the country. From half an office to eight labs. From no papers to around 50 papers per year. These are all great measurables. However, they are nothing unless they change patient outcomes.

I feel incredibly proud every day when I walk in and see the most junior student and the most senior scientist working seamlessly together without thinking of "I", more about "we". The team approach of Critical Care Research Group is an inspiration not just to myself but to clinicians, researchers and scientists who come from across the world to join you. People love changed outcomes in heart and lung medicine, in rich countries and in poor countries, whether it's in clinical medicine, engineering, biology or data management.

The words that inspired me to stay at The Prince Charles Hospital were words that Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote. These words were given to my old boss by the epidemiologist Fred Hollows. The words were:

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a deemed social condition. To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded."

Each day, the CCRG team works to succeed and I acknowledge them for their work.

John Fraser
MB ChB PhD FRCP(Glas) FRCA FFARCSI FCICM FELSO