Professor Graeme Clark
Professor Graeme Clark AC, Foundation Professor in Otolaryngology and then Laureate Professor at The University of Melbourne and also the Founder and Director of Bionic Ear Institute and Professor at University of Wollongong led the development of the world's first clinically successful multi-channel cochlear implant or Bionic ear.
The Bionic ear provides speech understanding for severely-to-profoundly deaf people when they receive little help from a hearing aid. It was successfully developed industrially by the Australian firm Cochlear Limited, and has had for the last 20 years the greater share of the world market. It is also the first implant of any type to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or any world regulatory body as safe and effective for children born deaf. It is thus the first major advance in helping deaf children communicate in the last 200 years since Sign Language of the Deaf. It is also the first successful interface between the world and human consciousness.
Graeme Clark has had many honours both nationally and internationally which include: the Zülch Prize, Max Planck Society, 2007 (the most prestigious scientific distinction in basic neurological research in Germany); Prime Minister's Prize for Science, 2004 (Australia's highest award for science); Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, 2005 (the highest award by the College of Surgeons); Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2003 (the highest honour of this society); Ian Wark Medal and Lecture, (the main award from the Australian Academy of Science for research of benefit to industry), 2006; Sir William Upjohn Medal, University of Melbourne (outstanding contributions to Medicine), 1997; Fellow of the Royal Society London, 2005 (for contributions to science, both in fundamental research resulting in greater understanding, and in leading and directing scientific and technological progress in industry and research establishments); Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, 1999 for outstanding contributions to science 1999; Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technical Science and Engineering, 1999; Five honorary doctorates in Letters, Science, Engineering, and Medicine; Lifetime achievement award, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 2007 (the highest award by the faculty of medicine); Cavalcade of Science Honour Award, Australian Institute of Political Science (as one of the eleven most outstanding Australian scientists of the 20th Century), 2000; Australian Father of the Year, 2004 (especially for the benefits of the implant for children).
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