Professor Susan Pond AM

1 December 2008

CITATION
Award of a Doctor of Medicine honoris causa
Dr Susan Pond, AM

Chancellor,

Internationally recognised specialist clinician and scientist, Dr Susan Pond, AM, is the Chairman and Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Limited, a position she has held since 2003. Johnson & Johnson is recognised as the world�s most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products and employs approximately 110,000 people globally and invests more than $US4.5 billion annually in research and development.

A key ingredient in the company�s success is research collaboration with universities. Dr Pond, in her role of chairman of Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Limited, has been a key driver of such programs in Australia, including the strong alliances with the University of Queensland and funding of PhD scholarships at the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney.

Dr Pond�s current areas of research include new treatment paradigms using stem cells and gene therapy products, non-coding RNA therapeutics for unmet medical needs, transformational technology platforms to detect and analyse genes and gene products, and proprietary approaches to the creation of new molecular entities from natural products.

From 1984�1990, Dr Pond was an Associate Professor in Medicine at The University of Queensland, during which time she was also the Director of Centre for Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

She served as Professor in Medicine at the University of Queensland from 1990 to 1996 and has been an Adjunct Professor at The University of Queensland and the University of Sydney since 1997. She was the first woman to be nominated to a personal chair in medicine at UQ and to receive the Wellcome Australia Medal for distinguished scientific achievement. Dr Pond was awarded Membership of the Order of Australia in 1994 for services to clinical pharmacology and toxicology.

She is a member of the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Scientific and Commercialisation Committee and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. Between 1994 and 1996, she chaired the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee and several of its subcommittees, including the Medicines in Pregnancy Working Party. Since 2003, Dr Pond has been a Director of Australia�s Biotechnology Industry Association, AusBiotech Limited, and served as Chairman during 2007 and 2008.

Dr Pond is a role model to others for her ability to seamlessly combine clinical and scientific expertise with strategic planning and corporate priorities. She inspires others to develop and build new businesses, create change and achieve the highest standards and outcomes.

Chancellor, in recognition of her contributions to The University of Queensland and to medicine and therapeutics, I present to you Dr Susan Pond, AM, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery with first-class honours from the University of Sydney, Doctor of Medicine from the University of New South Wales and Doctor of Science from The University of Queensland, for the award of a Doctor of Medicine honoris causa bestowed by the Senate of The University of Queensland.

 

Awards

Doctor of Medicine honoris causa
2008