Professor Bruce Campbell with his mentor, Professor Stephen Davis and BGRF CEO, Julienne Lewis
The 2025 Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation medal has been awarded to Professor Bruce Campbell for his pioneering stroke research in brain imaging and emergency treatment. His work has led to global changes in clinical practice, changing the outcome of stroke for many patients.
Professor Campbell’s work on CT-perfusion imaging in acute stroke is now routinely used to differentiate between irreversible brain damage and potentially salvageable tissue. In addition, his crucial role in demonstrating the effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy in restoring blood flow to the brain in acute stroke patients is considered a game changer. Thrombectomy has proved more than twice as effective at restoring blood flow to the brains of patients with stroke as clot-dissolving drugs used alone.
Presenting the medal on behalf of the Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation, Professor Stephen Davis, a prominent leader in stroke research and Director of the Melbourne Brain Centre at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, amongst many other achievements, said Professor Campbell’s work increased recovery to independent function from 40 to 71 per cent. ‘That means for every three patients treated with thrombectomy, an extra patient recovered independence, one of the most powerful treatment effects in any field of medicine’, Professor Davis explained.
‘Professor Campbell’s work has also contributed to extending the treatment window for certain stroke patients to 24 hours, allowing for more timely interventions’, Professor Davis continued.
A consultant neurologist and Head of Neurology and Stroke at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Professor Campbell is also Professor of Neurology in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, an honorary professorial fellow at The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science. Widely recognised as a trailblazer, Professor Campbell has already received many accolades and awards.
