Hylton Menz awarded AAHMS fellowship

La Trobe’s Professor Hylton Menz has been awarded a prestigious fellowship with the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS).

Professor Menz is the first podiatrist to be honoured with an AAHMS fellowship and he’s also La Trobe’s first academic to be appointed as a fellow. As an allied health specialist, he will play an important role in promoting diversity in the Academy.

The fellowship was announced on Wednesday 14 October at the Academy’s sixth annual meeting, which was streamed live from Sydney.

The AAHMS was established in 2014 and aims to advance health and medical research in Australia. It works to foster leadership within the sector, providing expert advice to decision makers, and engaging patients and the public. Their Fellows are at the heart of their work – they are an independent, interdisciplinary body of scientists and innovators, elected by their peers for their outstanding achievements and exceptional contributions to health and medical science in Australia.

AAHMS President, Professor Ingrid Scheffer, said, “The importance of health and medical science has never been more in the spotlight. The Academy brings together and celebrates the nation’s best brains in health and medicine.”

“The diverse talents and expertise of these Fellows reflects the incredible breadth and depth of Australia’s world class health and medical research. It is this solid base of expertise that has equipped the country to address the pandemic so successfully,” she said.

The Academy singled out Professor Menz as a “podiatrist who has advanced our understanding of the prevalence, risk factors and impact of foot disorders, their underlying pathophysiology, opening up new options for non-surgical management using exercise, therapeutic footwear and orthotic interventions.”

“It’s an honour to be inducted into the Academy and join such an esteemed group of researchers,” Professor Menz said.

“It is particularly gratifying to see the important role of podiatry recognised in this way. I’m really looking forward to contributing to the Academy’s goal of advancing health and medical research in Australia.”