Citizen of the Year honoured for pioneering COVID-19 treatment

Two leading University of Newcastle health researchers, Professor Nathan Bartlett and Emeritus Professor Julie Byles have each been honoured in the 2024 City of Newcastle Citizen of the Year Awards.

^{Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes congratulates 2024 Newcastle Citizen of the Year Professor Nathan Bartlett.}

Dedicated medical researcher Professor Bartlett, who helped develop an effective preventative treatment for respiratory viral diseases including COVID-19, has been selected as Newcastle's 2024 Citizen of the Year.

Emeritus Professor Julie Byles, a long-time advocate for the health of women and older people, was named Senior Citizen of the Year.

Professor Bartlett received the top honour at City of Newcastle's award ceremony for his efforts across multiple research and education projects that will help future generations face the impact of respiratory infections including the COVID-19 virus.

The viral immunology researcher played an integral role in the development of a nasal spray designed to prevent respiratory viral diseases such as COVID-19.

The spray, which is currently in clinical trials, is designed for high-risk groups such as immune-compromised patients and the elderly for whom vaccination may be less effective.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Professor Bartlett’s selection as Citizen of the Year recognised his ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes for others.

“Professor Bartlett's pioneering medical research will save lives,” Cr Nelmes said.

“As new variants of COVID-19 continue to make people very unwell, his integral role in developing an effective treatment particularly to help those in our community at the greatest risk of severe disease and death remains vital.

“He has spent countless hours educating the community and industry bodies such as the National Asthma Council to better understand and cope with COVID-19 and respiratory viruses and dedicates his time to teaching and mentoring the next generation of medical professionals and biomedical researchers.”

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky, AO, congratulated Professor Bartlett on the esteemed award stating it was a fitting recognition of his more than 20 years’ service to medical science research.

“Through his pioneering work, such as the development of a preventative nasal spray treatment for respiratory viral diseases, Professor Bartlett is helping to protect the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our communities,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“During the evolving COVID-19 pandemic he has also shared his respiratory disease expertise via countless media opportunities and various engagements with industry bodies, with the aim to help educate, inform and alleviate fear.

“As a University, we highly value and thank him for his commitment to teaching and fostering the next wave of up and coming biomedical researchers.”

Professor Bartlett said it was an honour to receive the award and to contribute to the incredible work being done in the region in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.

“I have always been interested in respiratory viruses and my research took on a new urgency after a global pandemic was declared in March 2020,” Professor Bartlett said.

“It has been a privilege to undertake research at the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute and collaborate with many outstanding researchers to work towards lessening the burden that viruses place on the global community. I am honoured to accept this award on behalf of my team and those key collaborators without whom much of this work would not have been possible.”

^{Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes congratulates 2024 Newcastle Citizen of the Year Professor Nathan Bartlett and Senior Citizen of the Year Emeritus Professor Julie Byles (third from left).}

Senior Citizen of the Year – Emeritus Professor Julie Byles

Senior Citizen of the Year recipient, University of Newcastle Emeritus Professor Julie Byles, is a long-time advocate for the health of women and older people and has inspired many young researchers and PhD candidates during her 20 years as the Co-Director of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

After retiring in early 2023, Professor Byles became the president of the Hunter Ageing Alliance and has since lent her skills to amplifying the voices and needs of the over 60s in Newcastle.

Now an Emeritus Professor at the University, Julie continues her important women’s health research.

Professor Zelinsky congratulated Professor Byles on the significant contribution she has made to the health and wellbeing of Australian women through her research.

“This accolade is deserved recognition of Professor Byles’ strong leadership of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, which is the largest, longest-running project of its kind ever conducted in Australia, having first started in 1996,” he said.

“The study involves some of the most influential research we do, exploring the factors contributing to the health and wellbeing of 57,000 Australian women in four cohorts.

“The data Professor Byles and the team at Women’s Health Australia collect provides invaluable information about the health of women across the lifespan, helping to inform federal and state government policies across a wide range of issues.

“As a University community we thank her for her passion and dedication to her field.”

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City of Newcastle's annual Citizen of the Year awards formally recognise the outstanding contributions of extraordinary Novocastrians over the past year.

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