Two Western Australians working in the state's healthcare industry are nominated for the 2020 Australian of the Year Awards.
WA Senior Australian of the Year John Newnham and WA Young Australian of the Year Yarlalu Thomas
Professor John Newnham is in the running for the Senior Australian of the Year after he was named 2020 WA Senior Australian of the Year.
2020 WA Young Australian of the Year Yarlalu Thomas is also nominated for the national awards, which will be announced on 25 January 2020.
Professor John Newnham is recognised as one of the world's leading authorities in the prevention of pre-term birth, the single greatest cause of death and disability in children up to five years of age.
He developed a program that resulted in an eight per cent reduction in premature births across Western Australia. His program has been successfully rolled-out nationally.
Yarlalu Thomas, a Nyangumarta Pitjikarli man originally from Warralong, southeast of Port Hedland, is a medical student at the University of Sydney.
He now works with the WA Register of Developmental Anomalies, Genetic Services WA and Cliniface, to transform genetic health care services for remote Indigenous people.
Mr Thomas also works with Pilbara Faces, which aims to understand 3D facial variation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples to provide more accessible, quicker and non-invasive diagnosis for children with rare and genetic diseases, as well as mentoring Aboriginal boarding students.
Visit the website for information about the Australian of the Year Awards (external site).