John Attia

John Attia is a Professor of Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Newcastle and has expertise in population, clinical, molecular and genetic epidemiology. Laureate Professor Attia trained at McMaster University (Canada) in clinical medicine with a specialty in general internal medicine (MD) and obtained his fellowship with the Royal College of Physicians of Canada and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

During this time he was awarded the Outstanding Housestaff award, the J.T. Walsh award for outstanding Internal Medicine resident, and Best Teacher in Internal Medicine. He also obtained a BSc in Physiology (Faculty scholar at McGill University), a MSc in Epidemiology (McMaster University), and a 5-year MRC scholarship to complete his PhD in Molecular Genetics (University of Toronto).

Laureate Professor Attia received the HMRI Award for Research Excellence in 2012 in recognition of his expertise in research methodology, analysis and molecular genetics and an extraordinary work rate that included teaching duties and a contribution rate of almost one medical publication per week.

Since arriving in Newcastle in 1999, the Canadian expatriate has supervised or co-supervised numerous PhD and Master’s students in Public Health. He became Professor of Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology in 2006.

Laureate Professor Attia has also served as chief investigator for the Hunter Community Study, a cohort of 3,000 men and women aged 55-85 years that has ongoing research value in the areas of genetics and ageing.

He has been listed on the NHMRC register of Evidence-Based Medicine experts and has provided epidemiological expertise to the Therapeutic Goods Administration and currently to the Medical Services Advisory Committee. He is currently academic director of general medicine at John Hunter Hospital responsible for the advanced training program.

He is still active in clinical medicine as a general physician.