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Tony McMichael

January 01, 1970

Professor Anthony John McMichael AO FTSE MBBS PhD (3 October 1942 – 26 September 2014) was an Australian epidemiologist who retired from the Australian National University in 2012.

Background edit

McMichael grew up in Adelaide, and graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide (1961-1967). As a student he spent a summer volunteering at a leprosy colony in New Delhi, India where he saw how patients were treated as social outcasts suffering from the stigma of a disfiguring disease although they were no longer contagious. The following year, whilst on a similar service trip to Papua New Guinea he met social sciences student Judith Healy, whom he married shortly after graduation. They had 2 children. He was elected president of the National Union of Students, based in Melbourne, in 1968.[citation needed]

After 18 months in general practice, he was invited to become the PhD student of Professor Basil Hetzel at the new department of social and preventive medicine, Monash University in Victoria, graduating in 1972. Studying factors that influenced the mental health of undergraduate students, he gained skills in epidemiological research. He also showed early evidence of independent inquiry informed by reading the works of thinkers such as Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich who questioned the capacity of the Earth to support a growing world population with increasing consumption of resources.[citation needed]

He then worked at the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, studying the health of workers in the tyre industry. Returning to Australia he worked for CSIRO and then became the Foundation Chair in Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Adelaide from 1986 until 1994. In 1994-2001 he was Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, before returning to Australia to follow Prof Bob Douglas as the director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health[1] at the Australian National University in Canberra. Most recently he held an NHMRC Australia Fellowship at the ANU, where he also ran the Environment, Climate, and Health research program. McMichael was chair of think tank The Australia Institute.[2]

Scholarly contributions edit

McMichael coined the term the 'Healthy Worker Effect' (later extended by others to similar phenomena such as the 'Healthy Migrant effect'), a statistical fiction that tended to overestimate the good health of populations working in noxious industries. His study established a link between benzene exposure and leukemia among tyre builders.[3][4]

While working in South Australia, he uncovered a link between lead pollution and impaired childhood neurocognitive development around an industrial plant in Port Pirie.[5] His work, and two other studies, were instrumental in the phasing out of lead in more than 100 countries.[6] Increasingly interested in underlying causes of illness, he exposed the effects of passive smoking, and also the effects of UV radiation in creating lower rates of multiple sclerosis, which has a higher incidence in populations towards the poles. UV exposure lessens immune system activity, including misdirected "autoimmune" attacks on the body tissues.[7]

In later years, and particularly after returning to Australia in 2001, he worked on the health effects of climate change.[8] He had always been influenced by ideas of anthropogenic crises, first population growth and latterly of general planetary overload. He argued that a warming world would have significant negative effects on human health. He said "Climate change is not just about disruptions to the local economy or loss of jobs or loss of iconic species. It's actually about weakening the foundations the life support systems that we depend on as a human species."[3] His team showed that tens of thousands of people were dying each year from climate-induced flooding, malnutrition, and infectious diseases.[9]

Honours edit

Publications edit

McMichael published over 300 peer-reviewed papers, 160 book chapters and two sole-author books: "Planetary Overload: Global Environmental Change and Human Health" (1993), and "Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease: Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures" (2001). He has co-authored or edited several books.

In 2012 a Festschrift was held to commemorate his career.[10] In 2015, the formal written festchrift was published.[11]

His last book was published by Oxford University Press in 2017.[12]

References edit

  1. ^ National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, nceph.anu.edu.au
  2. ^ "Clive Hamilton to leave Australia Institute". The Australia Institute. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b Gupta, Sujata (May 2012). "Profile of Anthony J. McMichael". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (18): 6787–6789. Bibcode:2012PNAS..109.6787G. doi:10.1073/pnas.1205294109. PMC 3344956. PMID 22547802.
  4. ^ McMichael AJ (1976) "Standardized mortality ratios and the 'healthy worker effect': Scratching beneath the surface". J Occup Med 18:165–168.
  5. ^ McMichael AJ, et al. (1988) "Port Pirie Cohort Study: Environmental exposure to lead and children's abilities at the age of four years". N Engl J Med 319:468–475
  6. ^ "Paying tribute to Professor Tony McMichael: One of the world's public health champions – Croakey".
  7. ^ McMichael AJ, Hall AJ (1997) "Does immunosuppressive ultraviolet radiation explain the latitude gradient for multiple sclerosis?" Epidemiology 8:642–645.
  8. ^ Anthony J. McMichael and Keith B. G. Dear (2010) "Climate change: Heat, health, and longer horizons" PNAS 107 (21): 9483-9484
  9. ^ McMichael AJ, et al. (2004). "Climate Change". in Ezzati M, Lopez AD, Rodgers A, Mathers C. (eds.) Comparative Quantification of Health Risks: Global and Regional Burden of Disease Due to Selected Major Risk Factors, Geneva: WHO. pp 1543–1650
  10. ^ "AJ McMichael Festschrift". Australian National University. 2 November 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  11. ^ Colin Butler; Jane Dixon; Tony Capon, eds. (2015). Health of People, Places and Planet : Reflections based on Tony McMichael's four decades of contribution to epidemiological understanding. ANU Press. doi:10.22459/HPPP.07.2015. ISBN 9781925022414.
  12. ^ Anthony J McMichael; Alistair Woodward; Cameron Muir (2017). Climate Change and the Health of Nations: Famines, Fevers, and the Fate of Populations. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190262952.

External links edit

  • Guardian obituary
  • Kirk R. Smith, "Anthony J. McMichael", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2017)

January 01, 1970
tony, mcmichael, professor, anthony, john, mcmichael, ftse, mbbs, october, 1942, september, 2014, australian, epidemiologist, retired, from, australian, national, university, 2012, contents, background, scholarly, contributions, honours, publications, referenc. Professor Anthony John McMichael AO FTSE MBBS PhD 3 October 1942 26 September 2014 was an Australian epidemiologist who retired from the Australian National University in 2012 Contents 1 Background 2 Scholarly contributions 3 Honours 4 Publications 5 References 6 External linksBackground editMcMichael grew up in Adelaide and graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide 1961 1967 As a student he spent a summer volunteering at a leprosy colony in New Delhi India where he saw how patients were treated as social outcasts suffering from the stigma of a disfiguring disease although they were no longer contagious The following year whilst on a similar service trip to Papua New Guinea he met social sciences student Judith Healy whom he married shortly after graduation They had 2 children He was elected president of the National Union of Students based in Melbourne in 1968 citation needed After 18 months in general practice he was invited to become the PhD student of Professor Basil Hetzel at the new department of social and preventive medicine Monash University in Victoria graduating in 1972 Studying factors that influenced the mental health of undergraduate students he gained skills in epidemiological research He also showed early evidence of independent inquiry informed by reading the works of thinkers such as Paul R Ehrlich and Anne H Ehrlich who questioned the capacity of the Earth to support a growing world population with increasing consumption of resources citation needed He then worked at the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill studying the health of workers in the tyre industry Returning to Australia he worked for CSIRO and then became the Foundation Chair in Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of Adelaide from 1986 until 1994 In 1994 2001 he was Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene amp Tropical Medicine before returning to Australia to follow Prof Bob Douglas as the director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health 1 at the Australian National University in Canberra Most recently he held an NHMRC Australia Fellowship at the ANU where he also ran the Environment Climate and Health research program McMichael was chair of think tank The Australia Institute 2 Scholarly contributions editMcMichael coined the term the Healthy Worker Effect later extended by others to similar phenomena such as the Healthy Migrant effect a statistical fiction that tended to overestimate the good health of populations working in noxious industries His study established a link between benzene exposure and leukemia among tyre builders 3 4 While working in South Australia he uncovered a link between lead pollution and impaired childhood neurocognitive development around an industrial plant in Port Pirie 5 His work and two other studies were instrumental in the phasing out of lead in more than 100 countries 6 Increasingly interested in underlying causes of illness he exposed the effects of passive smoking and also the effects of UV radiation in creating lower rates of multiple sclerosis which has a higher incidence in populations towards the poles UV exposure lessens immune system activity including misdirected autoimmune attacks on the body tissues 7 In later years and particularly after returning to Australia in 2001 he worked on the health effects of climate change 8 He had always been influenced by ideas of anthropogenic crises first population growth and latterly of general planetary overload He argued that a warming world would have significant negative effects on human health He said Climate change is not just about disruptions to the local economy or loss of jobs or loss of iconic species It s actually about weakening the foundations the life support systems that we depend on as a human species 3 His team showed that tens of thousands of people were dying each year from climate induced flooding malnutrition and infectious diseases 9 Honours editOfficer of the Order of Australia 2011 Member US National Academy of Sciences 2011 Shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore and world scientists Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2003 Fellow Australian Faculty of Public Health Medicine John R Goldsmith award outstanding contributions to environmental epidemiology ISEE 2000 Publications editMcMichael published over 300 peer reviewed papers 160 book chapters and two sole author books Planetary Overload Global Environmental Change and Human Health 1993 and Human Frontiers Environments and Disease Past Patterns Uncertain Futures 2001 He has co authored or edited several books In 2012 a Festschrift was held to commemorate his career 10 In 2015 the formal written festchrift was published 11 His last book was published by Oxford University Press in 2017 12 References edit National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health nceph anu edu au Clive Hamilton to leave Australia Institute The Australia Institute 22 November 2007 Retrieved 11 January 2018 a b Gupta Sujata May 2012 Profile of Anthony J McMichael Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109 18 6787 6789 Bibcode 2012PNAS 109 6787G doi 10 1073 pnas 1205294109 PMC 3344956 PMID 22547802 McMichael AJ 1976 Standardized mortality ratios and the healthy worker effect Scratching beneath the surface J Occup Med 18 165 168 McMichael AJ et al 1988 Port Pirie Cohort Study Environmental exposure to lead and children s abilities at the age of four years N Engl J Med 319 468 475 Paying tribute to Professor Tony McMichael One of the world s public health champions Croakey McMichael AJ Hall AJ 1997 Does immunosuppressive ultraviolet radiation explain the latitude gradient for multiple sclerosis Epidemiology 8 642 645 Anthony J McMichael and Keith B G Dear 2010 Climate change Heat health and longer horizons PNAS 107 21 9483 9484 McMichael AJ et al 2004 Climate Change in Ezzati M Lopez AD Rodgers A Mathers C eds Comparative Quantification of Health Risks Global and Regional Burden of Disease Due to Selected Major Risk Factors Geneva WHO pp 1543 1650 AJ McMichael Festschrift Australian National University 2 November 2012 Retrieved 21 December 2014 Colin Butler Jane Dixon Tony Capon eds 2015 Health of People Places and Planet Reflections based on Tony McMichael s four decades of contribution to epidemiological understanding ANU Press doi 10 22459 HPPP 07 2015 ISBN 9781925022414 Anthony J McMichael Alistair Woodward Cameron Muir 2017 Climate Change and the Health of Nations Famines Fevers and the Fate of Populations Oxford University Press ISBN 9780190262952 External links edit Tony McMichael at anu edu au Guardian obituary Kirk R Smith Anthony J McMichael Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tony McMichael amp oldid 1175834041, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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