Sir Don Beaven
Position
Professor
Honours/Awards
- Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM)
- Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
- MBChB(NZ)
- Hon DSc (Canterbury)
- Hon Condliffe Memorial Medal (Canterbury)
- Bronze Medal (University of Padova)
- Sands Memorial Medal (RACP)
- NZ Commemorative Gold Medal
- Memorial Gold Medal (Edin)
- Christchurch City Council Greenstone Award “Live Tall”
- Patron of NZ Diabetes Society.
Room
Unit 1
Contact Details
Phone:
64 (3) 358-3303 (Office)
64 (3) 358-9164 (Lab)
Department of Communication Disorders
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, 8140, NEW ZEALAND
Background
Professor Sir Don Beaven is a 3rd generation New Zealand graduate in medicine who, after work in an isolated rural practice, subsequently trained as a specialist in internal medicine in the United Kingdom from 1951-1955. Following two years as a Senior Resident Physician in Christchurch, he spent two years at Harvard as a Fulbright Fellow and subsequently as an Eli Lilly International Fellow. He returned to New Zealand in the early 1960s and established the first teaching and research unit in Christchurch as a Senior Lecturer at Otago Medical School. In 1971 he was appointed as Professor of Medicine (Foundation) at the new Medical School developing at the Christchurch Hospital in 1971 after secondment as Professor Invite in Geneva in 1970 and 1971. He has worked extensively in India and South East Asia helping develop medical audit and post graduate teaching.
Professor Beaven has also been a New Zealand Diabetes representative to the World Health Organization working parties (Africa, India, and the Pacific) and the International Diabetes Foundation for over 20 years. He was elected by his fellow members to chair the Canterbury Hospital Board in 1989 and served as Deputy Commissioner until 1994. He was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM) in 2005 in recognition of his services to people with diabetes.
Sir Don joined the Department of Communication Disorders in 1989 to assist with curriculum development and to act as liaison officer to the Christchurch School of Medicine. He remains an active member in the Department and holds appointment as an Adjunct Professor.
Publications
- Approximately 250 articles and 8 books in the area of clinical medicine and diabetes