Professor H. Peter Soyer has been awarded the 2023 Silver Medal by the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) – its highest award.

The award is presented annually to Fellows who have demonstrated valuable service to the ACD and distinguished service to dermatology over several years.

Professor Soyer, who is the Director of the Dermatology Research Centre (DRC) at UQ’s Frazer Institute, and the former Medical Director of PAH Dermatology, said he is very humbled and honoured by the award.

“To be among the first international dermatologists to receive the Silver Medal feels very special, and I am extremely grateful to the ACD to be recognised in this way,” Professor Soyer said.

“Dermatology has been my passion for 40 years and the knowledge and experience that I have gained and shared over this time has only been possible through invaluable collaborations, such as my work with the ACD.”     

Professor Soyer was instrumental in making PAH home to Australia’s first 3D Avatar – a revolutionary skin cancer-detecting system known as the VECTRA Whole Body 360, and is revolutionising the fight against skin cancer.

This technology and his prolific research alongside the UQ Dermatology Research Centre led to the establishment of the High-risk Melanoma Clinic and the Familial Melanoma Clinic at PA Hospital which significantly supports those patients with higher risk. 

He also developed the tele dermatology service at PAH which is a 24 hour on-call support service for dermatology presentations to Emergency Departments in QLD, especially in rural and remote areas.

As Chief Investigator of the Australian Cancer Research Foundation Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis, Professor Soyer is currently focused on revolutionising early melanoma detection using 3D state-of-the-art body imaging systems that take an image in milliseconds.

“As part of the world’s largest melanoma imaging trial, which aims to develop more efficient and effective screening for the early detection of skin cancer, this telemedicine network enables dermatologists and medical professionals to detect skin cancers remotely, including from the other side of the country,” Professor Soyer said.

“Medical researchers will have access to a national database of up to 100,000 patient images taken by 3D full body imaging systems based in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

“Using algorithms created by artificial intelligence, the 3D imaging systems analyse the images and produce a full body skin spot map, which will transform the way we monitor patients in the future.”

More than 17,000 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma each year, making it the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia after breast and prostate cancer.