News
AMA (WA) Aspire Award for Doctors in Training leader to attend high performance US computing conference
Tuesday November 14, 2023
AMA (WA) Doctors in Training Practice Group Co-Chair Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman (they/them) is the recipient of the AMA (WA) Aspire Award.
Funded by Business Events Perth, the award is a $5,000 scholarship presented to an AMA (WA) member to assist in their professional development by attending an international conference in their chosen field of endeavour.
Thomas will be attending SC24 (International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis 2024), in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The conference attracts more than 10,000 attendees, with exhibitors from universities, national research organisations, and high-performance computing vendors. SC brings together scientists, engineers, researchers, educators, programmers, and developers to intermingle to learn, share, and grow.
AMA (WA) President Dr Michael Page was full of praise for Thomas’ achievements and contributions.
“They have been a fantastic advocate for their peers. They redesigned Hospital Health Check, our annual survey of junior doctors, which is one of our most important advocacy tools, and really been a fearless advocate for their junior doctor peers in the hospital system and general practice across the State,” he said.
“Thomas is also a very accomplished medical researcher for their stage of medical training, with many peer-reviewed publications in the medical literature, and really driven a number of research projects, which combine Thomas’ understanding not only of medicine but also of computing and informatics.”
Thomas has a strong technical background. Their recent work using automated interactive SMS messaging to communicate with parents of children after surgery at Perth Children’s Hospital is an excellent example of the intersectional approach that Thomas follows. The project was very successful with consumers and has now led to the development of a new and exciting project to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs, e.g. ChatGPT) to enhance clinical care and increase health service efficiency.
Business Events Perth, CEO, Gareth Martin said it was an honour to support and acknowledge a group of Western Australia’s upcoming leaders, showcasing the incredible talent here within a diverse range of industries.
“Dr Thomas Drake-Brockman’s work as a clinician-academic and technologist, especially driving the use of head-mounted devices and automated interactive technology, is uniquely positioning Western Australia as a global contributor to these innovative new practices.
“We are proud to support Thomas’ work as they contribute to the advancements of Western Australia’s health and science industry, positioning the state as a global leader.”
Dr Drake-Brockman was thrilled with the accolade.
“It’s nice to have someone recognise that you’re doing good work, that you’re achieving things, and it’s also really exciting to have the opportunity to travel to attend a conference, meet new people, discover new ideas, and broaden your professional network as well,” they said.
The charter of Business Events Perth is to market, in conjunction with local organisations, Western Australia nationally and internationally as a destination for conventions, exhibitions and incentive travel groups.
The scholarship covers air travel, accommodation and registration at a relevant international conference to a maximum of $5,000.
