She’s dedicated her life towards improving the lives of others, and PA Hospital Nephrologist Prof Carmel Hawley is now preparing to step down as she leaves a remarkable legacy built on the foundations of excellence, research, and compassion.
Her long and illustrious career combined with her significant contributions to kidney medicine has resulted in decades of exceptional care.
“I’ve seen three generations of a family go through a disease where you can actually pinpoint the molecular change that occurred and give the family some hope of treatments in the future.
“The explosion of knowledge of genetic diseases and molecular biology has changed the face of what we do and that’s been great,” Prof Hawley said.
Her decision to enter the field and ultimately excel in it, all began with an obsession for maths and science at a young age. She completed her training in 1985 at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and in 1989 began her tenure at PAH as a Consultant Nephrologist.
“It was unrecognisable back then,” she said. “We used to be paged over a loudspeaker because we didn’t have mobile devices so they’d just call you and say where you were required. Of course, there were no computers, and email was something not spoken about.
“I always tell the story to young people that we couldn’t even order a CAT scan of the head unless we had a neurosurgeon lined up in case we found something requiring treatment.”
As the years of service rolled over, her absolute commitment to kidney health, continual improvement, and mentoring the next generation never wavered for the UQ Professor of Medicine.
“I have really enjoyed working with young people at the peak of their intellectual prowess and abilities and seeing them become superb clinicians.
“The most important thing to me has been providing healthcare which is as equitable as possible, and working in a multidisciplinary team where everyone is working together for the same outcomes.”
With that, it’s no surprise Prof Hawley has an impressive collection of academic honours including being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) earlier this year.
She was also presented the Kincaid-Smith medal in 2018 which is Kidney Health Australia’s highest award, and the prestigious Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (ANZSN) TJ Neale Award in 2022.
Publications in the New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet are also up there with some of her proudest achievements, as she acknowledged the momentous efforts of her research colleagues.
As she reflects on her 44 years in public health, no award or recognition could compare to her most treasured memory of all – the people at PAH.
“The friendships forged particularly in the dialysis and transplant units with the people who nurtured my career, they’re the fondest memories.”
The decision to retire? A difficult one, Prof Hawley admits.
“As a doctor you know life is finite and you’ve only got so many years of good health to do something other than come to work every day.
“While I won’t miss working nights, weekends, and being on-call, I will miss the intellectual stimulation day in day out.”
With four children and four grandchildren she plans on enjoying some well-deserved family time, mixed in with her love of fitness and travel.
“I think it’s hard to ever be ready for what the future holds when you retire,” she said.
If Prof Hawley’s retirement is anything like her time at PAH, we know it will be full of curiosity, compassion, and humility.
On behalf of the Haemodialysis team, research fellows, and generations of families who have benefitted from your care, thank you Prof Hawley for turning your passion into purpose.