Born: 7 August 1938, Australia
Died: NA
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: Helen Mary Broinowski
This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Helen Caldicott trained as a physician and went on to treat children afflicted with cystic fibrosis. During the early 1970s she played a major role in the Australian opposition to the French atmospheric tests in the Pacific. In 1978 Caldicott founded Physicians for Social Responsibility in the USA and has since founded and been a member of a number similar organisations. The recipient of many awards, she has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and has received honorary degrees from numerous universities.
Chronology
1961: Career position – Resident Medical Officer at Royal Adelaide Hospital
1967 – 1968: Career position – Research Fellow in the Nutrition Clinic at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston, USA
1971 – 1972: Life event – Initiated movement against French atmospheric tests in the Pacific Ocean
1972: Career position – Intern at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital
1973 – 1974: Career position – Resident Medical Officer at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital
1975 – 1976: Career position – Founder/Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital
1977 – 1980: Career position – Assistant in Medicine at Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Harvard, USA
1977 – 1980: Career position – Instructor in Paediatrics at Harvard Medical School, USA
1978 – 1983: Career position – Founder and President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, USA
1980: Award – Margaret Mead Prize received from the Environment Defence Center
1980: Life event – Resigned to work full time on the prevention of nuclear war
1980: Career position – Co-leader of the Nuclear Freeze Voter Initiate Campaign
1980: Career position – Founder of Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament
1980: Award – Humanist of the Year Award received from the Ethical Society of Boston
1981: Award – Gandhi Peace Prize received
1982: Career position – Led public New Zealand education campaign (with Dr William Caldicott) resulting in the official New Zealand nuclear-free policy
1985: Award – United Nations Association for Australia Peace Medal Award received
1985: Award – John-Roger Foundation Integrity Award received
1992: Award – Norman Cousins Award for Peacemaking from the Physicians for Social Responsibility
1993: Award – Louis Mumford Award received from the Architects Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility
1994: Award – Distinguished Peace Leadership Award received from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
1995 – 1996: Career position – Instructor at New School for Social Research, New York, USA
1998: Career position – Patron of Parents Protecting Our Children Against Radiation in Lucas Heights, New South Wales
1999: Career position – Founder and Secretary of Our Common Future Political Party
1999 – 2000: Career position – President of the Star (Standing for Truth About Radiation) Foundation
2001: Career position – Laurie Chair in Women’s Studies at Douglass College at Rutger University, USA”