Career paths for medical research. The proceedings of a Festschrift for Professor June Halliday (Part 1)

Recruitment and training for careers in medical research is an important issue that has direct relevance for advances in gastroenterology and hepatology in the Asia‐Pacific region. In November 1995, a symposium on aspects of medical research careers was convened at The Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) as part of a Festschrift to celebrate the distinguished career of Professor June Halliday. In addition to her many contributions to scientific knowledge about iron metabolism and haemochromatosis, Professor Halliday has played a major role in the development of medical research careers. As a woman scientist within a clinical department of an Australian university medical school, she has been and remains an important role model, particularly for scientists within such departments and for women, whose participation and leadership in medical research careers is greatly under‐represented. Professor Halliday's contributions to hepatology are summarized in the companion special article on aspects of iron metabolism and the liver (to be published in issue 11).