A search and rescue doctor who led the first western medical team into Banda Aceh following the 2004 tsunami will present a prestigious UQ lecture on Friday.
Commander Paul Luckin will cover his 30-plus year career serving in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve when he delivers the 53rd Annual E S Meyers Memorial Lecture on September 17.
Since 1957, the event has honoured the life and work of Dr Errol Solomon Meyers, a founder of the UQ School of Medicine and a pioneer teacher of both general and surgical anatomy in Queensland.
“Commander Luckin will be the first military officer to present and the first to cover search and rescue medicine in the event’s history,” lecture convenor Julia Brandenburg said.
“He will highlight the challenges of responding rapidly and adequately to victims of disasters, and support this with his experience in the Australian Defence Force.”
The “Rescue, Revival and Disaster” address will cover some of Commander Luckin’s major rescues in Australia and Africa, in addition to discussing the retrieval of civilians injured in terrorist attacks in Bali.
Commander Luckin currently works in private practice in Brisbane in addition to advising search and rescue teams around the nation, including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and police rescue taskforce. In 2006 he received the Australian Nationals Search and Rescue Award for his work.
For eight years Commander Luckin served on the Mountain Rescue Team of the KwaZulu-Natal Section of the Mountain Club of South Africa, and has worked as the Director of Red Cross Air Mercy flights and as Director of the Tasmanian Advanced Airway Management Training Programme.
The E.S. Meyers Memorial Lecture has grown to become a highlight of the School of Medicine calendar, attracting a diverse audience from the medical profession, academic community and general public. The event has featured renowned medical professionals including Sir Edmund Hilary, Imran Kahn and Lord Jeffery Archer.
The 53rd Annual E S Meyers Memorial Lecture will be held at the UQ Centre, St Lucia from 6:30pm. All are welcome to attend, with donations from the evening assisting a range of charities including the Ashintosh Trust, run by the UQ Medical Society.
One of the trust's major projects is the Teddy Bear Hospital, which aims to educate children about medical care in a safe and non-threatening environment.
For further information or to register your attendance visit www.uqms.org
Media: Julia Brandenburg (esmeyers@uqms.org) or Allison Rock at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619, Allison.rock@uqconnect.edu.au)
