On 23 February 2026, the Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) Surgical Education Research and Training (SERT) Institute hosted its fourth annual Surgical Awards Night, bringing together senior executives, surgeons and staff to celebrate excellence and innovation in surgical care.
The evening recognised the recipients of the Dr Harry Cumberland Travelling Scholarship and the Dr Ray Hollings Surgical Excellence Awards. Both awards were established through the generosity of the surgeons they are named after to support research, education and quality improvement in surgery.
Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) Chief Executive Anthony Schembri and RNSH General Manager Alison Zecchin opened the event by reflecting the lasting impact Dr Harry Cumberland and Dr Ray Hollings have had on the hospital and broader surgical community and thanked them for their continued support.
This year’s applications strongly reflected the passion and dedication of surgeons at RNSH and covered a wide range of projects aimed at improving surgical techniques, patient outcomes.
A special highlight of the evening was the attendance of Dr Ray Hollings who personally presented the awards to this year’s recipients.
NSLHD Board Chair Trevor Danos closed the event by congratulating all applicants and award recipients and acknowledged the SERT Institute for organising the event.
Mr Danos also paid tribute to Dr Harry Cumberland and Dr Ray Hollings as distinguished alumni who set an exceptional benchmark throughout their careers.
“Dr Cumberland and Dr Hollings have set a standard of excellence for our surgical community,” Mr Danos said. “Through their mentorship, leadership and generosity, they have created opportunities for future generations of surgeons to keep leading and driving innovation in patient care.”
Congratulations all 2026 award recipients.
The Dr Harry Cumberland Travelling Scholarship
Recipient: Dr Salim Maher received $5,000 for his study on “Characteristics and Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis – An Australian and New Zealand Multicenter 30-year Cohort Study”.
Finalists:
Dr Saad Shaheen for his study on “Hepatitis D Virus Seroprevalence Among HbsAg Positive Patients in A Major Australian Tertiary Referral Centre.”
Dr Calvin Joomann Park for his study on “Degree of Privacy as Well As Body Position Impacts the Balloon Expulsion Test: A Randomised Trial in Health Subjects.”
Dr Ray Hollings Surgical Excellence Award Recipients
Dr Varun Harish received $7,000 for his study on “Anti-Factor Xa–Guided Enoxaparin Dose Optimisation in Severe Burn Injuries.”
Dr Heath French received $8,000 for his study on “Integration of Surgeon-Delivered Ultrasound-Guided Erector Spinae Blocks to Improve Outcomes in Spine Surgery.”
