Recognising outstanding contributions to Cochrane – nominations now open for the 2026 Chris Silagy Award
Chris Silagy was one of Cochrane’s most extraordinary contributors. This annual award recognises and celebrates his work and legacy.
Chris Silagy (1960-2001) was the founding Director of the Australasian Cochrane Centre, a former Chair of the Cochrane Steering Group and instrumental in Cochrane's development and success.
Chris was energetic, positive and inspiring. Before his death in December 2001, Chris expressed a wish for a Fund to be established, to be held by the Monash Foundation. Chris initiated this fund with his own contribution, and requested donations be made to it instead of flowers or other tributes after his death.
Chris requested that this Fund be used to recognise contributions to Cochrane like providing administration, management, Colloquium organisation, communication and motivation - in short, the 'glue' that helps to keep Cochrane together. The establishment and perpetuation of the Prize was approved by the Steering Group in April 2002.
Outstanding Contribution to Cochrane – The Chris Silagy Award
The Chris Silagy Award is awarded to an individual who has made an “extraordinary” contribution to Cochrane's work.
The Prize consists of AU$1,000 (drawn from the Chris Silagy Memorial Fund) and a certificate.
Potential recipients of the Chris Silagy Prize need to have: made an extraordinary contribution to Cochrane and been identified by their peers as consistently contributing to a spirit of collaboration.
The Chris Silagy Award is awarded to an individual who has made an “extraordinary” contribution to Cochrane's work.
Submissions are now open until 27 July 2026, when nominations will be shared with the prize committee for review.
Prize winners will be notified mid-October 2026.
Past Chris Silagy Prize recipients
2025 Matteo Bruschettini | Cochrane Sweden
2023 Muriah Umoquit | Cochrane Central Executive Team
2022 Gail Quinn and Clare Jess | Gynaecological, Neuro-oncology and Orphan Cancer Cochrane Review Group
2021 No prize awarded
2020 Joy Oliver | Cochrane South Africa
2019 Anna Noel-Storr | Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group
2018 Karin Dearness | Cochrane Upper GI and Pancreatic Diseases group
2017 Livia Puljak | Cochrane Croatia
2016 Anne Eisinga | Cochrane UK
2015 Jenny Bellorini | Cochrane ENT
2014 Denise Thomson | Cochrane Child Health
2013 Sally Bell-Syer | Cochrane Wounds & Nancy Owens | Cochrane Web Team
2012 Jordi Pardo Pardo | Cochrane Musculoskeletal
2011 Martin Janczyk | Cochrane Web Team and Cochrane Germany & Juliane Ried, Cochrane Web Team and Cochrane Germany
2010 Chris Mavergames | Cochrane Web Team and Cochrane Germany
2009 Kate Cahill | Cochrane Tobacco Addiction
2008 Rasmus Moustgaard | Cochrane Nordic
2007 Heather Maxwell | Cochrane Vascular
2006 Monica Kjeldstrøm | Cochrane Nordic
2005 Janet Wale | Cochrane Consumer
2004 Sonja Henderson | Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth
2003 Gill Gyte | Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth
2002 Jini Hetherington | Cochrane Executive Team
In 2000, at the age of 39, Chris Silagy was made an Office in the Order of Australia (AO) for services to medicine, particularly in the areas of research and education, and in developments in the field of evidence-based medicine, an award of which he was immensely proud.
Governing Committee for the Chris Silagy Prize
Sally Green
Jini Hetherington (from 2003)
Philippa Middleton
Jane Russell (Silagy)
Donations to the Chris Silagy Prize Fund
Donations to this Fund are most welcome. Contact Sara Kelly, The Development Office, Monash University, University Development and Alumni, on +61 3 9905 9957 for more information.
Donors to the Chris Silagy Prize Fund
Individual donors: Professor Leon Piterman; Mrs Pamela R Herman; Professor Elsdon Storey; Ms Lyn Roberts; Dr Wendy Rogers; Professor David Hill; Ms Frances Fairman; Professor Amy E Zelmer; Mr Eric L Garner, AM; Mrs Suzanne Strangward; Dr Rosemary L Nixon; Mrs Joan M McPhee; Mr John L McPhee; Professor Stephen J Duckett; Ms Pauline Pellegrini; Mr NG Taylor; Dr JL Linn; Dr JS Linn; Ms Margaret F Broadhead; Professor Godfrey Fowler; Mrs Jeannett L Hall; Mrs R Allen; Mr Ken R Strangward; Mr Julian F Coles; Ms Janet Coles; Professor MP Vessey.
Institutional donors: National Heart Foundation of Australia; Mt Waverley District Scout Association
