Fiona Juliet Stanley is an Australian epidemiologist noted for her public health work, her research into child and maternal health as well as birth disorders such as cerebral palsy. Stanley is the patron of the Telethon Kids Institute and a distinguished professorial fellow in the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia. From 1990 to December 2011 she was the founding director of Telethon Kids.
Early life and education
Fiona Juliet Stanley was born in Little Bay, New South Wales. She loved reading about people such as Marie Curie and through her father, who was a researcher on polio, she met Jonas Salk. She has said of her childhood that "In my dreams I would sail out to all the undiscovered islands and inoculate the inhabitants in a whirlwind race to conquer disease and pestilence."
In 1956, the family moved to Western Australia when Stanley's father took the Foundation Chair of Microbiology at the University of Western Australia.
In 2002, due largely to her lobbying, the prime minister of Australia, John Howard, launched the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) of which she is chairperson. The alliance has offices located in Canberra, Perth and Melbourne and aims to progress collaboration and evidence-based action to improve the wellbeing of young Australians. In her 2003 Kenneth Myer Lecture at the National Library of Australia she talked about "modernity's paradox" in which increasing wealth and opportunity has also resulted in increased social differences and more problems for children and youth, including increases in asthma, obesity, diabetes, child abuse, binge-drinking, drug abuse and mental health problems. She argued for cross-disciplinary work and said the challenge is "to intervene earlier in the causal cycles". In 2011 she was appointed to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation by communications minister Stephen Conroy. Phase one of the hospital, the Fiona Stanley Hospital named in her honour, officially opened on 3 October 2014.
Awards, honours and other recognition
thumb|Part of the Fiona Stanley Hospital
- 1996: Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), "for service to maternal and child health research, particularly in perinatal and infant problems, and for her contributions to improving aboriginal and community health" in the Queen's Birthday Honours List
- 1996: Elected a fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia
- 2001: Centenary Medal
- 2002: Appointed a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 2004: the National Trust's Australian Living Treasure.
- 2008: runner in the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay, in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 24 April 2008.
Honorary degrees
- 1998: Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon DSc), Murdoch University
- 2001: Honorary Doctor of the University (Hon DUniv), Queensland University of Technology
- 2004: Honorary Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (Hon FRACGP)
- 2005: Honorary Doctor of Medicine (Hon MD), University of Sydney
- 2006: Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK) (Hon FRCPCH)
- 2008: Honorary Doctor (Hon MD), University of Melbourne
- 2009: Honorary Bragg Member, Royal Institution of Australia
- 2010: Honorary Doctor of Science (Hon DSc), Edith Cowan University
- 2014: Honorary Doctor from KU Leuven for her distinguished contributions to poverty research.
- 2015: Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
- 2019: International Honorary Member - American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Personal life
Stanley married Geoffrey Shellam, who later occupied the same chair of microbiology that her father had occupied.
On 10 October 2023, Stanley was one of 25 Australians of the Year who signed an open letter, initiated by psychiatrist Patrick McGorry, supporting the Yes vote in the Indigenous Voice referendum.