Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin AO
Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin AO, portrait oil on canvas by artist Avril Thomas.
Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin AO MD FRACP FRCP FRACMA is a former Senior Consultant Physician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and former Dean of Medicine and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide, as well as a respected pharmacology educator, mentor, researcher and academic leader.
After nearly sixty years of service to the advancement of medical education and the community in South Australia, he continues to inspire future generations of doctors, students, researchers and academics.
"As far as Deans of Medicine and Executive Deans go, he’s been an absolutely iconic figure within our University and also within the medical community in South Australia, extending internationally," said Professor Chien-Li Holmes-Liew, Clinical Dean of Medicine at the University and former student of Professor Frewin. "He’s trained and mentored many of the leaders within South Australian medicine and research. He’s also had a huge impact on patients with his really compassionate manner that makes them feel heard. He’s known as a physician that goes the extra mile to help all of his patients."
Professor Holmes-Liew says that this dedication is echoed in Professor Frewin's commitment to medical students, and to creating a culture where students feel heard, connected, supported and prepared to be the doctors of the future.
According to Professor Frewin, it was the support of his own mentors, peers and family members that was the key to his successful and fulfilling career. "When I look back on my career, I acknowledge the support of my wife Margaret, herself a doctor, who has been with me through most of this journey, my father and my three children, Michael, Joanne, and Christine," he said. "I also acknowledge the assistance of colleagues and friends who have helped and encouraged me throughout my career. I see medicine as a wonderful discipline in which education, research and clinical practice all come together to give satisfaction and achievement."
Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin with wife Dr Margaret Frewin outside Bonython Hall in 1971, after he was awarded his Doctor of Medicine by the University of Adelaide.
"I see medicine as a wonderful discipline in which education, research and clinical practice all come together to give satisfaction and achievement."Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin
Professor Frewin's passionate example was extremely impactful on the generations that followed, and often continued long after graduation. Professor Holmes-Liew said, "Prof has had a huge impact on my career. He continues to inspire me to try to do the job in the same way that he did: being connected to the students; understanding that medicine can be dynamic and innovating in the space; and leading by being firm and compassionate, being aware of what each individual needs and how they work, and bringing their strengths to the fore. I feel really privileged to have been taught by him. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from Prof, the mentorship and the inspiration that he provides... and there are hundreds of other people who would say exactly the same thing."
For those aspiring to a career like his, Professor Frewin has practical advice to offer, informed by a lifetime of his own practice. "Medicine has given me a very rewarding career. It is not without its challenges however, as the study, clinical work examinations and then the specialisation programmes need significant time commitments. Medical research can also be very rewarding sometimes, with life-saving discoveries along the way. Aspiring doctors need to recognise these commitments and make adjustments for them."
Graduation day - M Clin Sc 2009. L-R: Dr Kee-Chuan Liew; Professor Chien-Li Holmes-Liew; Emeritus Professor Derek Frewin; Dr Margaret Frewin.
"I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support from Prof, the mentorship and the inspiration that he provides... and there are hundreds of other people who would say exactly the same thing"Professor Chien-Li Holmes-Liew, Clinical Dean of Medicine and former student of Professor Frewin
Professor Frewin celebrates with medical students and graduates
As well as his tireless dedication to his students, Professor Frewin's accolades, awards and achievements are too many to list, but some of them stand out to him personally as particular moments of pride.
"There are some achievements in my career that I look back on as highlights. The first was obtaining a Doctorate in Medicine in 1971 from the University of Adelaide – it was among my foremost career objectives to obtain a research doctorate. Then, I was awarded the Fulbright-Hays Senior Scholar Award in 1972/3 to work at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre in New York.
"The Australian Medical Association (SA) Award for 2001 was extremely satisfying in that I had been recognised by my peers for outstanding achievement in medical education, research and clinical medicine. In January 2003, I received an AO in the General Division of the Order of Australia."
Her Excellency, the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia presents the 2023 Derek Frewin Early Career Research Award to Dr Jessica Stanhope.
Photo courtesy of NCH Research Foundation.
Professor Frewin was recognised for his contributions to the University of Adelaide with an Alumni Fellow Award in 2015. In 2022, the Derek Frewin Early Career Researcher Award and a public lecture were established in his name by the Northern Community Health and Research Foundation (NCH Research Foundation), in recognition of the outstanding contribution given to both the NCH Research Foundation and the University of Adelaide. Several other teaching awards in the Medical School, and most recently a scholarship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, have been named after him.
He was awarded an Emeritus Professorship of the University of Adelaide in 2005, upon his retirement from the University. As patron of the Adelaide Medical School Students’ Foundation, he continued to support students long after this time. Upon his retirement from clinical practice in 2023, the Foundation recognised and celebrated his ongoing dedication and immense contributions at a farewell dinner in collaboration with CALHN Medical Staff Society and the Adelaide Medical School.
Details of an outstanding medical career
Professor Frewin was born in Badulla, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). After completing school and undergraduate medical training in Sri Lanka, he migrated to Adelaide in 1965 and took up an internship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He then transferred to a Research Fellowship in the Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology at the University, under the mentorship of Professor Robert Whelan and Professor Ivan de la Lande. He received an MBBS from the University of Adelaide in 1967.
In 1967 Professor Frewin was appointed a Lecturer in Physiology, which was the first of many academic appointments he would hold at the University; he was appointed Associate Dean of the School of Medicine in 1977 and then Dean of the Medical School in 1990, a post he held for fifteen years. In 1996, he was invited to head up a newly formed Faculty of Health Sciences, comprising Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Psychology and Health Sciences itself. Professor Frewin held this role until his retirement from the University in 2005.
Professor Frewin was invited by the then Head of Cardiology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), Dr John McPhie, to set up a Hypertension Clinic within the Cardiac Clinic at the Hospital in 1971. He stepped down as Head of the Clinic in May 2024 after leading it for more than 50 years.
After completing his Doctor of Medicine in 1971, Professor Frewin received a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to undertake a period of postgraduate research at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre in New York. He worked in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine there in conjunction with Dr John Downey, contributing to a very productive research program. He and Professor Downey published extensively together, the thrust of their studies being in relation to the human peripheral circulation and thermoregulation.
On his return to Adelaide in August 1973, he extended his Autonomic testing laboratory within the Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology and this unit strengthened the strong ties that existed previously with the RAH. Professor Frewin was awarded a regular Visiting Professorship to Columbia and travelled there for periods in 1974, 75, 76 and 87, the latter to conduct a review of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
In 1997, Professor Frewin was elected Chair of the Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools (CDAMS) and appointed to the Australian Medical Council (AMC) as the representative of the Australian Vice Chancellors’ Committee and served for twelve years. He also participated in Accreditation visits to the University of Tasmania and University of Queensland medical schools. He was also elected to serve on the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges as the CDAMS representative.
Professor Frewin and Professor Justin Beilby
Professor Frewin served on the Boards of the Royal Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth, Modbury and Lyell McEwin Hospitals; and the Council of the then Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (now SA Pathology). He also represented the University on the Medical Board of South Australia and its sub-committees for many years.
Throughout his career, he published over 200 papers in international scientific journals and served on the Editorial Boards of several of these. He worked closely with Professor Richard Head of the CSIRO, and together they supervised several PhD candidates to completion. He also mentored a number of MD, M Sc, and B Sc (Hons) candidates. The research mentorship provided by Professors Whelan, de la Lande and Downey also greatly helped to develop this aspect of Professor Frewin’s career.
Outside of his University commitments, Professor Frewin was closely associated with the St John’s Ambulance movement in SA and helped to found the Campbelltown Division of the service and be its Senior Divisional Surgeon for seven years. He was also very involved with aged care and served on the Board of Uniting Care Wesley for ten years. From 2016-2022, he chaired the Management Committee of a NH&MRC Centre for Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing. He was the Medical Officer to the South Australian speedways in 1966/67.
For his many contributions, he was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2003, for service to the advancement of medical education, to research in the field of hypertension, and to the community, particularly in relation to the care of the ageing and of people affected by drug addiction.
Emeritus Professor Frewin's exceptional career continues to provide inspiration to the next generations of medical practitioners.