Forensic pathologist joins Health and Medical Sciences Academy

Thursday, 6 October 2016

The University of Adelaide’s Professor Roger Byard AO PSM has today been inducted as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Professor Byard was admitted to the Academy during an event in Brisbane, bringing the Academy’s total membership to 272 distinguished Fellows nationwide.

Professor Byard is George Richard Marks Professor of Pathology at the University of Adelaide (School of Medical Sciences) and Senior Specialist Forensic Pathologist with Forensic Science SA.

Most of Professor Byard’s career has been spent examining, investigating and researching people's deaths. He has conducted research into many aspects of forensic pathology, especially accidental and sudden death.

An active member of community and government committees, Professor Byard has developed recommendations and proposed policy changes to help protect against accidental death. He has also been involved in media campaigns and public lectures.

Professor Byard has initiated an approach to forensic pathology practice called "preventive pathology", which focuses on public health outcomes and facilitates dissemination of this information to professional colleagues and the community.

He has a major interest in developing the field of paediatric forensic pathology nationally and internationally.

Professor Byard’s acceptance into the Academy follows a recent award from the International Society for the Study and Prevention of Perinatal and Infant Death for his outstanding contributions to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) research. The award was presented to him last month at an international conference in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Among Professor Byard’s many other accolades are the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Operations Medal, for his work on the identification of victims of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand, and the Public Services Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service to paediatric pathology.

In 2013 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Australia Day honours for "distinguished service to medicine in the field of forensic pathology as an academic, researcher and practitioner and through contributions to professional committees and organisations".

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