James Muecke
James Muecke | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Sunter Muecke |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | University of Adelaide |
| Occupation | Medical specialist |
| Medical career | |
| Sub-specialties | Ophthalmologist |
| Awards | |
James Sunter MueckeAMCM(born 1963) is an Australianophthalmologistworking inAdelaide, South Australia.He was the 2020Australian of the Year,having beenSouth Australian of the Year.[1]He was sworn in asSouth Australia's newLieutenant Governoron 27 January 2022, succeedingBrenda Wilson.[2]
Early life
[edit]Muecke was born inAdelaideand raised inCanberra.[3][4]He lived inWashington, D.C.,as a child while his father worked for the Australian embassy.[5]He attendedCanberra Grammar Schoolfrom 1976 to 1981.[6]After failing to get into medicine at theUniversity of Sydneyby one mark,[5]Muecke returned to Adelaide to study medicine at theUniversity of Adelaide,[7]graduating in 1987.[8]He later trained as anophthalmologistat theRoyal Adelaide Hospitaland subspecialty training ineye cancerinLondon[8]
Professional life
[edit]Muecke began his career working inKenyafor 12 months.[1]After his ophthalmology training, he worked for a year atSaint John Eye HospitalinJerusalem,including taking "outreach eye clinics" into refugee camps in theWest BankandGaza Strip.[3][8][9]He returned toSouth Australiaand became an eye surgeon, working in private practice and as a visiting consultant at the Royal Adelaide andWomen's and Children's Hospitals.[8]
In 2000, Muecke founded Vision Myanmar at the South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology.[10]In 2008, this evolved into Sight For All, a social impact organisation dedicated to fighting the causes of blindness[1]with projects in Aboriginal and mainstream Australian communities,[11]as well as training and equipping eye surgeons throughout Africa and Asia.[12]Muecke is Chair and co-founder of Sight for All.[8]Working withAusAIDfunding and the co-operation of both country's governments, Muecke created a program to create more than 30 specialist eye centres inMyanmarto treatcataractblindness.[9]
In the2012 Queen's Birthday Honours,Muecke was appointed aMember of the Order of Australia(AM).[13]He received theUniversity of Adelaide's Vice-Chancellor's Alumni Award in 2019.[7]
In November 2019, Muecke was namedSouth Australian of the Yearfor 2020.[14]In January 2020, he was namedAustralian of the Yearfor his work in preventing blindness.[11][10]He had planned to speak at events around the country throughout the year, but theCOVID-19 pandemicmeant most of his presentations outside Adelaide were delivered online.[15]
On being appointed Australian of the Year, Muecke immediately advocated for a tax on sugary drinks in the fight againstType 2 diabetes,[16][17]which is the leading cause of blindness among Australian adults.[12]He advocated for TV commercials for unhealthy products to be limited to certain hours, and asks supermarket chains to curb their "predatory sales and marketing tactics", without success.[15]Australia Postdid remove junk food from their checkouts following a meeting with him.[15]In late November 2020, he gave a controversial speech to theNational Press Cluboutlining what he described as the country's "flawed, biased and unscientific" Australian Dietary Guidelines.[18]He also brought his concerns to theHealth MinisterGreg Hunt.[19]He was credited by Hunt in the launching of a new ten-year National Diabetes Plan in November 2021.[20]Muecke is also a key contributor toAustralian Community Media's "Silent Assassin" series on the causes and consequences of Australia'stype 2 diabetes epidemic.[21][22]
In 2016, Muecke had to stop conducting surgeries due to an inherited neurological condition (focal dystonia) impacting use of his right hand.[23][24]
On 20 January 2022, thePremier of South Australia,Steven Marshall,announced that Muecke would be the state's newLieutenant Governor,succeedingBrenda Wilson.[2]The role is appointed for a term at the "Governor's pleasure" and acts as vice-regal representative in the Governor's absence.[25]
Awards and honours
[edit]- Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, 2011[8]
- Member of theOrder of Australia,2012[8]
- South Australian Community Achievement Award, 2021[6]
- Australian Medical AssociationPresident's Leadership Award, 2013[6]
- Pride of Australia Medal finalist, 2014[6]
- Ernst & YoungSocial Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2015[8]
- University of AdelaideDistinguished Alumni-Vice Chancellor's Award, 2019[26]
- 2020South Australian of the Year
- 2020Australian of the Year[11]
- Honorary Doctorate, University of Adelaide, 2021[26]
Personal life
[edit]Muecke is married to Mena, a former architect who is Sight for All's events director, and they have two sons.[8][5]He is a keen amateur photographer and has held exhibitions and self-published a coffee table book, which helped fund a children's eye unit in Myanmar.[8]
References
[edit]- ^abcDornin, Tim (6 November 2019)."Eye surgeon and sight protector James Muecke honoured as SA's Australian of the year".The Advertiser.Adelaide.Australian Associated Press.Retrieved25 January2020.
- ^ab"South Australia's new Lieutenant Governor announced".Premier of South Australia. 20 January 2022. Archived fromthe originalon 20 January 2022.Retrieved21 January2022.
- ^abBale, M.J. (16 January 2021)."The Good Doctor:James Muecke".Manual.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^Doherty, Ben (25 January 2020)."Australian of the year: Dr James Muecke awarded top prize and Ashleigh Barty also honoured".Guardian Australia.Retrieved25 January2020.
- ^abc"James Muecke: Clear vision".SA Life. 12 June 2020.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abcd"Mr James Muecke Class of 1981".Canberra Grammar School.
- ^ab"Dr James Muecke AM".Alumni.University of Adelaide.31 May 2019.Retrieved27 January2020.
- ^abcdefghijMichael, Luke (9 April 2018)."Creating a World Where Everyone Can See".Pro Bono Australia.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abWilliamson, Brett (3 November 2014)."Adelaide ophthalmologist Dr James Muecke takes vision of curing blindness to the world".ABC News.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abDoherty, Ben (25 January 2020)."Australian of the Year: Dr James Muecke awarded top prize and Ashleigh Barty also honoured".The Guardian.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abc"Eye surgeon James Muecke named Australian of the Year".SBS. 25 January 2020.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abMuecke, James (12 July 2021)."Don't become another blinding statistic, James Muecke warns".The Canberra Times.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^"Member of the Order of Australia (AM) entry for Dr James Sunter Muecke".Australian Honours Database.Canberra, Australia:Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.11 June 2012.Retrieved25 January2020.
For service to ophthalmic medicine, to the provision of eye health services and rehabilitation programs for Indigenous and South East Asian communities, and to professional organisations.
- ^Dornin, Tim (6 November 2019)."Eye surgeon and sight protector James Muecke honoured as SA's Australian of the year".The Advertiser.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^abcMuecke, James (28 July 2021)."James Muecke says: Australia, thanks for the opportunity".The Armidale Express.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^McCauley, Dana (25 January 2020)."Australian of the Year calls for sugar tax to fight diabetes-caused blindness".Sydney Morning Herald.Retrieved25 January2020.
- ^Pianegonda, Elise (25 January 2020)."Australian of the Year 2020 awarded to eye surgeon Dr James Muecke, with Ash Barty, youth advocate and obstetrician also honoured".ABC News Online.Australia.Retrieved25 January2020.
- ^Risso, Angelo (1 December 2020)."Aussie of Year demands diet rule overhaul".The Geelong Advertiser.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^Nason, James (8 February 2021)."Australian of the Year ophthalmologist blasts flawed Dietary Guidelines".Beef Central.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^Hunt, Greg (14 November 2021)."Minister Hunt's Press Conference in Melbourne on 14 November 2021 on new cancer treatment, COVID-19 booster shots and vaccination rates".Department of Health.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^Ireland, Olivia (21 January 2022)."The Australian Medical Association #SicklySweet campaign launched to tackle sugar intake in Australia".Fairfield City Champion.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^"Meet the experts helping us understand the causes and consequences of type 2 diabetes, Australia's silent assassin".The Canberra Times.30 November 2021.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^"'It is a career-destroying condition': Australian of the Year reveals why he had to give up surgery ".www.abc.net.au.27 January 2020.Retrieved18 July2020.
- ^Sta Maria, Stephanie (29 June 2020)."Dr. James Muecke AM".Australia Post.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^"What we know today, Thursday January 20".In Daily.20 January 2022.Retrieved22 January2022.
- ^ab"Dr James Sunter Muecke AM"(PDF).University of Adelaide. 26 March 2021.Retrieved22 January2022.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- Scientists from Adelaide
- Australian surgeons
- Australian of the Year Award winners
- Members of the Order of Australia
- Australian ophthalmologists
- Living people
- People educated at Canberra Grammar School
- University of Adelaide Medical School alumni
- Lieutenant-governors of South Australia
- 1963 births
- People with dystonia