Rate My Professor Creswell Eastman

Creswell Eastman AM AO is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School, Westmead Clinical School. He graduated with an MBBS from the University of Sydney in 1965 and was awarded an MD in 1980. Eastman's career began as Resident Medical Officer at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney (1965–1966), followed by Medical Registrar there (1968–1969), and Research Fellow in Endocrinology at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research (1967 and 1969–1970). He held an Overseas Travelling Fellowship in Endocrinology at Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London (1971–1972). He was appointed Foundation Head of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Woden Valley and Canberra Hospitals (1975–1979), then at Westmead Hospital (1979–1989), serving concurrently as Deputy Director of the Division of Medicine (1986–1989). From 1989 to 2006, he directed the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research at Westmead Hospital and was NSW Government Analyst (1997–2006). He is Principal of the Sydney Thyroid Clinic and Consultant Emeritus at Westmead Hospital.

Eastman's research specializations encompass clinical endocrinology, thyroid diseases, and iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). He directed major public health initiatives to eliminate IDD across Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Pacific Islands including Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, China including Tibet, and Australia. As a consultant to WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and AusAID, he conducted national surveys such as the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study (2003–2005), influencing mandatory iodine fortification of bread in Australia from 2009. He authored over 200 refereed publications and the chapter on IDD in ThyroidManager.org. Key papers include "Are Australian children iodine deficient? Results of the Australian National Iodine Nutrition Study" (Medical Journal of Australia, 2006), "Iodine nutritional status in Tibet" (The Lancet, 2008), and "Iodine deficiency in Australia: is iodine supplementation for pregnant and lactating women warranted?" (Medical Journal of Australia, 2010). Major honors include Officer of the Order of Australia (AO, 2018), Member of the Order (AM, 1994), University of Sydney Alumni Award for Professional Achievement (2008), Thailand Health Promotion Award (2014), and Distinguished Service Award, Asia Oceania Thyroid Association (2019). He chaired the Australian Centre for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, served as senior adviser to the Iodine Global Network, and held leadership roles in the Endocrine Society of Australia and Asia Oceania Thyroid Association.