Prof. Norbert Berend

My first acquaintance with Norbert Berend was by his reputation, as an advanced trainee and research fellow in thoracic medicine at Concord Hospital, Sydney. Having completed his physician training and PhD at Concord, he had just departed for Winnipeg, to work with Professor Thurlbeck in the year immediately prior to my commencing as a trainee at Concord, and his reputation was already substantial. He was an industrious, clever and clear-headed registrar, unquestionably headed for greater things, which indeed turned out to the case. Following his two years in Canada he moved to the National Jewish Hospital and Research Centre, Denver, Colorado as Assistant Professor of Medicine, and met many collaborators in his work in the pathophysiology of COPD. Pulmonary physiology has been his great love, and a constant through his research career. He has published over 160 papers on diverse physiologic topics, particularly lung mechanics, neutrophilic airway inflammation, interstitial lung disease, small airways disease, forced oscillometry, ventilation heterogeneity and lung function and obesity.

Norbert has never baulked at challenges in his working life. When he returned to Australia, he was made Senior Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Sydney and Concord Hospital, but he soon moved to Royal North Shore Hospital as Head of the Department of Thoracic Medicine, where he also progressed his research activities as well as training many respiratory and sleep physicians. Ultimately he swapped his clinical role for a major health administration role as Executive Director of the Hospital. Following this, in another crucial career move he took on the role that Ann Woolcock had occupied so remarkably, and became Director of the Institute of Respiratory Medicine, which was subsequently renamed to honour her, as the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. At the Woolcock, Norbert supported a growing respiratory and sleep facility, many research activities and many people's careers, supervising many PhD students, and strongly supporting early- and mid-career researchers in pulmonary physiology.

Norbert has received many awards and honours that recognise his leadership and research productivity. He has been the recipient of the ERS Award of Merit and Lifetime Honorary Membership, the TSANZ Research and President's Medals, and the APSR President's Medal. He was awarded an Order of Australia in 2003 for his contribution to respiratory science and education.

Norbert has played a key role in the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology. He has had a long-standing commitment to developing respiratory science and expertise in the Asia-Pacific region. In the APSR he has occupied many roles in doing this, following in the steps again of Ann Woolcock, who had a vision of a strong regional advocacy and research body that could contribute to lung health and build scientific and clinical expertise in the region. Apart from being a member of many APSR congress planning committees, his APSR roles include Secretary General 2004–2006, APSR President from 2006–2009 and APSR delegate to the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) 2008–2010. Following this he was Chairman of FIRS in 2011.

Norbert has remained a strong advocate for respiratory health in Asia. When he finished in his role as Director of the Woolcock, he moved to The George Institute for Global Health as Head, Respiratory Research. He has worked also as a member of the global leaders' team at GlaxoSmithKline and has relished visiting many of the places and people he has met in Asia over his working life.

Although I have worked with Norbert in most of the locations he has worked, the time at The George Institute has been a period of joint collaboration which has been particularly rewarding. We have worked together over several years on a large study in China and as he said in a recent email, reflecting on our journey through the years in many different roles, "At the end of the day we wound up at the George. What a journey! We have different talents which somehow complemented each other – in retrospect quite successfully and I look forward to future interactions". As do I.