Neurologist and researcher recognised with Officer of the Order of Australia

Congratulations to Professor Graeme Hankey who last weekend received the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to medicine as a neurologist and stroke physician, to research, and as an editor and author.

Professor Hankey is a highly regarded member of the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) Department of Neurology, having worked a Consultant Physician from 2013 to 2023 and as a Professor of Neurology at The University of Western Australia during the same period.

In 2023, Professor Hankey was appointed the inaugural UWA Perron Institute Chair in Stroke Research, where he runs large international trials while training up the next generation of neurologists.

Despite no longer working full-time at SCGH, Professor Hankey continues to share his experience on an honorary basis, attending weekly stroke clinical meetings and teaching and giving lectures on stroke to junior staff within the Department of Neurology at SCGH.

A leader in his field, Professor Hankey has published more than 1000 research papers and written a book on neurology. Now in its third edition, Hankey's Clinical Neurology is described as a "highly regarded textbook for all clinicians" by his peers.

Previously, he was a senior clinical neurology fellow at the Mayo Clinic in 1988, a globally renowned hospital in the United States. He has run clinical trials at the University of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital in Scotland.

In 1992 he returned to Perth where he ran a trial at the first purpose-built stroke unit at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) which found a 30 per cent reduction in death and disability in patients who were treated in the dedicated unit versus a general ward. He remained at the RPH Stroke Unit as the Head of Department for 15 years before joining SCGH in 2013.

Professor Hankey credits the achievement of the AO to the support he received from his teachers, mentors, colleagues, students, patients, friends and family along the journey.

"This recognition is a testament to the help I have received from many people in my endeavours to be an effective clinical neurologist, researcher, teacher, author and editor; and to reduce the impact of neurological disorders on affected individuals, their families and communities," he said.

"Some of them gave up their time to cover me while I went to meetings, did research. They are the heroes to me, who unselfishly worked for me.

"My greatest accomplishment is helping patients and families negotiate and minimise the impact of their illness and helping to inspire, teach, train and mentor the next generation of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and clinician scientists.

"I draw much of my inspiration from the courage and capacity of sick patients and looked forward to continuing to help patients into the future."

He said working with, learning from, and laughing with incredibly capable, dedicated and diligent colleagues and staff is what he enjoys most working in neurology.

"What gives me the greatest pleasure is some of the trainees who have come to work with me, who are now world leaders and running big studies internationally, making an impact. It's like seeing one of your children grow," he said. 

See the full Australia Day 2025 Honours List.