CCRG Director awarded Order of Australia for his distinguished service to medicine
Congratulations to CCRG Founder and Director, Professor John Fraser AO who has been named as an Officer of the Order of Australia for his distinguished service to medicine as an intensive care physician and surgeon, and to global critical care research.
Professor John Fraser AO has been named as an Officer of the Order of Australia, pictured here with his five children, Tommy, Ben, Nicholas, Dominic and Lucy, at CCRG’s 20-year anniversary dinner at Queensland Parliament House, July 2024.
Professor Fraser who is Director of Intensive Care Unit, St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital, Brisbane and Chief Medical Officer, De Motu Cordis, established CCRG in 2004. Over the past two decades, CCRG has grown to become one of the largest multidisciplinary research groups in Australia, with a global network spanning more than 60 countries – encompassing clinical, pre-clinical and engineering research – all with the singular aim of improving outcomes in critically ill patients.
Professor Fraser said “I am equal parts humbled and honoured to receive this huge accolade from my adoptive homeland of Australia. It represents not just my efforts, but the efforts of my many mentors, collaborators and team members I have had the good fortune to work with and learn from.
None of it would have been possible without the guidance of my parents nor the love and support of my 5 wonderful kids.”
Among many other achievements, some of CCRG’s flagship projects that Fraser leads include:
The Living Heart Project: innovations which have now been shown to improve heart transplant outcomes globally.
The ICU of the Future: A world-first of “Putting the patient first” through co-design of intensive care unit environment. The aim is to improve short- and long-term outcomes – ensuring that our “patients thrive, not just survive”.
Bionic Hearts and Lungs: Working with engineers and industry to improve the outcomes of those with end stage heart and lung failure.
COVID Critical: the world’s largest known database of COVID-19 ICU patient data, this study supported clinicians by contributing to the COVID-19 scientific library at a time when information was scarce. COVID Critical has just launched a dashboard, allowing clinicians around the world access to this rich dataset.
CCRG joined The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) in 2024, strengthening the IMB’s clinical links with the aim of improving health for people all over the world. IMB Executive Director Professor Ian Henderson said “John’s innovative spirit and dedication to improving outcomes for critically ill patients is unparalleled. This recognition is a testament to his tireless efforts, world-class research and drive, which continue to improve healthcare worldwide.
“On behalf of the IMB, congratulations, John—Australia and the world are a better place for your incredible contributions.”
Professor Fraser’s entrepreneurial spirt has been recognised through his appointment as the inaugural MedTech Ambassador for the Brisbane Economic Development Agency as the city prepares for the 2032 Olympics, and his development of what has been described as a needle-free adrenalin delivery device, chaired by John Eales AM.
Fraser was named, alongside colleagues A/Prof Arutha Kulasinghe and A/Prof Kirsty Short, in The Australian’s Top 100 Innovators for 2024 for his work leading the Wesley Research Institute’s Queensland Spatial Biology Centre (QSBC) in Brisbane.