Top honour for tropical doctor

Photo courtesy Royal College of Physicians

Exceptional contributions to tropical medicine and therapeutics by James Cook University’s Professor Peter Leggat have been recognised internationally with an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom.

The Honorary Fellowship was one of two to be awarded at this year’s awards ceremony by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.

Prof Leggat has been with JCU for 23 years and he recently returned from London where he received the Honorary Fellowship.

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine is a joint Faculty of the three Royal Colleges of Physicians in the United Kingdom (London, Edinburgh and Glasgow). It offers professional membership and sets standards in specialist areas of pharmaceutical medicine in the United Kingdom.

Prof Leggat said the award reflected JCU’s high standing in public health and tropical medicine and he wanted to acknowledge the contributions of all his colleagues over many years.

“JCU has one of Australia’s largest postgraduate programs in public health, which has been recognised internationally,” he said. “We’re concerned about training health professionals working in tropical Australia and beyond and actively contribute to research of health problems of the tropical world.”

Prof Leggat said the award meant a lot to him as the nominations had come from eminent colleagues abroad and because Honorary Fellowship was the highest honour that the College and the Faculty could bestow on an individual.

“It is a particularly auspicious time to receive the Honorary Fellowship as the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine has its silver jubilee celebrations this year,” he added.

Prof Leggat has published more than 450 papers in professional journals, more than 70 chapters and about 20 books.

He is presently seconded as JCU’s Dean of the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, which has large undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research programs.

Media Contact:

Professor Leggat (07) 47815959

Photo courtesy Royal College of Physicians