Associate Professor John Collins has been recognised with the Howard Williams Medal, an honour awarded to a member of the Paediatrics & Child Health Division who has made an exceptional contribution to improving the health of children and young people in Australia and/or Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Medal is presented annually by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) at its Congress, where recipients deliver an oration reflecting on their work and impact in the field.
Associate Professor Collins is widely regarded as a leader and pioneer in paediatric pain medicine and paediatric palliative care across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Following specialist training in the United Kingdom and the United States, he played a key role in the development of multidisciplinary complex pain services and paediatric palliative care programmes at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney from 1998. His work included the expansion of hospital-based, home care, and hospice services.
In 2003, Associate Professor Collins became a foundation member and Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Palliative Care Reference Group. Under his leadership, the group delivered significant national initiatives focused on quality improvement and education, including the development of clinical standards, quality indicators, and practical educational resources. These included a nationally recognised guide and innovative approaches to delivering education, such as the “pop-up” model.
A committed educator and mentor, Associate Professor Collins established a centre for postgraduate training in 2000 and has supported the development of numerous clinicians, both within Australia and internationally. His academic work has focused on pain and symptom management, culminating in a PhD and many peer-reviewed publications.
He also founded the annual Symposium on Paediatric Palliative Medicine in 2003, which has since become a leading forum for education, collaboration, and networking in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. An engaging and highly respected speaker, Associate Professor Collins has delivered approximately 50 invited national and international presentations, contributing to education and knowledge exchange across the global paediatric palliative care community.
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