Dr Peter Richardson, former Chairman of the National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (NASOG), will join CQUniversity as an Adjunct Professor from July, lending his expertise to our School of Medical and Applied Sciences and programs such as midwifery, medical imaging and clinical investigation.

Dr Richardson, an obstetrician and gynaecologist who, as a young doctor, trained with fertility pioneer Dr Patrick Steptoe, was drawn to the regional Queensland institution because of his interest in rural medicine and CQUniversity's reputation in nursing and midwifery, as well as its emerging presence as a provider of medical science specialties.

[Dr Steptoe and Dr Robert Edwards carried out the first successful "test-tube" conception which resulted in the birth of the world's first baby to be conceived by IVF in 1978.]

In February, CQUniversity announced that it would deliver Bachelor degrees in Imaging Science and Sonography starting in Term 1 2010. Specialities in Pathology, Clinical Investigation, Nutrition and Paramedics are also expected to come on-line as early as next year too.

"We need better models of co-operation in the delivery of medical services in rural locations for the benefit of patients. For example, well-trained GPs with diplomas in obstetrics and well-trained midwives can, together, provide good care that is uniquely organised for where we are in Queensland," explained Dr Richardson from his office at the Cairns Fertility Clinic, where he consults part-time. He's also in private practice at PIVET Medical Centre in Perth, where he works with Dr John Yovich, an internationally-recognised expert in Reproductive Medicine research.

"[CQUniversity Vice Chancellor] Scott Bowman is a dynamic and young. He was interested in the work that I did and offered me a chance to get involved."

In addition to his interest in infertility, Professor Richardson has worked closely with Professor Peter Petros from Royal Perth Hospital since the early 1990s in the development of a series of breakthrough surgical techniques. The first such technique was the "tension-free vaginal tape" operation for cure of female urinary stress incontinence.

This operation is now recognized as the gold standard for this condition, with more than 1,500,000 operations already performed world wide since the year 2000. He and Professor Petros have dedicated the past 6 years to develop a revolutionary "micro" method, the Tissue Fixation System (TFS). Their work was published as a series of scientific papers in Australian and International specialist journals commencing in 2005. The TFS is a minimally invasive "same day surgery" method which addresses urinary and faecal incontinence, large prolapses, and many symptoms such as chronic pelvic pain, urgency and nocturia, which were previously considered incurable.

Professor Richardson said that his association with CQUniversity would "keep my mind in tune with what's happening" and allow him to continue his clinical research and teaching, adding another link to established collaborations in Europe and Japan, again with Professor Petros, with the universities of Rome, Giessen, Hannover and Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, and others.

A one-term MP for Tangney WA (an area covers Perth's southern suburbs including Murdoch University) from 1975-1978, Professor Richardson believes universities operating in regional locations have a major responsibility not only to provide training but also to nurture young researchers.

"The work I did with Steptoe in the 60s was in a large town in Greater Manchester called Oldham, which is about the same size as Rockhampton. We worked in a hospital which had been an old Victorian workhouse, where water used to drop off the ceiling in the operating theatre.... It just goes to show, it doesn't matter so much where you do your work; you just need a spark!" 

 "From little streams, great rivers flow," he said.