Vale Professor Florence Levy AM

An advocate for women in medical research, Professor Florence Levy was an eminent academic in the field of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Conjoint Professor Florence Levy MD PhD FRANZCP was an eminent international academic in the field of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She passed away in late April while in palliative care.

Prof. Levy joined UNSW in 1973 as a conjoint academic in child and adolescent psychiatry after returning to Australia after a period of clinical research at Yale University in the United States. She originally hailed from Perth.

She managed to balance her research activities with an active clinical career at Prince of Wales Hospital where she directed the Child and Family East (CAFE) service, seeing many children with ADHD and their families.

Scientia Professor Philip Mitchell, School of Psychiatry, worked with Prof. Levy for many years.

“Florence was highly recognised as a public spokesperson for the recognition and treatment of ADHD as a legitimate medical disorder. She was also an outspoken advocate for women in medical research, and she mentored many early and mid-career female academics over her career,” he said.

Prof. Levy was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2015 for her significant service to medical education through seminal contributions to child and adolescent psychology research.

UNSW Medicine extends its sympathies to Prof. Levy’s family and friends.