Eric Kirk Memorial Winner 2023 Announced
Congratulations to Dr Petra Czarniak, the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Eric Kirk Memorial Award.
Since Dr Petra Czarniak completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at Curtin University of Technology in 1986 she has made a significant contribution to pharmacy practice in Western Australia. Petra has worked as a community pharmacist, a senior pharmacist at the WA Poisons Information Centre, a consultant pharmacist and as an academic pharmacist where she has particularly excelled.
Petra’s pharmacy teaching career started at Curtin University of Technology soon after she graduated. Petra has held lecturing positions at Murdoch University and Notre Dame University. In 2007 Petra was appointed to design and develop the Graduate Entry Master of Pharmacy course at Curtin University. This required integration of master's level content alongside the existing Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. She demonstrated excellent ability, leadership and communication skills in this achievement. The course was initially accredited in 2011, and has since been re-accredited on several occasions. Based on excellence, Petra was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010.
Petra has a passion for research and on completing her PhD in 2014 has guided many undergraduate and graduate students through projects in pharmacy practice and antibiotic stewardship, leading to more than 30 publications in well regarded, refereed journals. In particular she worked with researchers in the Netherlands which identified associations between proton pump inhibitors and the risk of developing diabetes. Her research findings have significant clinical and practical importance. Petra has presented her research findings at 20 local, national and international conferences, some of which have resulted in awards for best presentation including Best Presentation Award at the Internatinal Conference on Medical Microbiology, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, London, 2017.
Petra is a Pharmacy Board of Australia appointed Oral Examiner. As a Board member of Asthma WA, she has been involved in improving access to appropriate treatment and medication guidance for children and adults with asthma. She was an appointed National Member of the Australian Nurse Practitioner Accreditation Council and the Nurse Practitioner Accreditation Committee (2018-2022). She has been a member of the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Organising Committee since 2017 and was heavily involved in the organisation of the very successful Joint ASCEPT/APSA conference held in Perth in November in 2022.
Petra is highly respected and considered an excellent teacher, particularly in her specialty areas of antimicrobial, chemotherapy and pharmacology. She won Curtin University awards for Excellence in Teaching in 2011 and 2013. Petra has also contributed to the ongoing education of pharmacists and other health professionals as an invited speaker for a range of pharmacy and education meetings including immunisation training, respiratory prescribing, asthma educator courses and respiratory pharmaceutics.
Petra has made an outstanding contribution to professional pharmacy practice in Western Australia over many years and is a very deserving recipient of the Eric Kirk Memorial Award.