Dr Tilman Ruff AM is an Associate Professor at the Nossal Institute of Global Health, University of Melbourne. He is also on the Australian Board of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Laureate, and has written extensively on nuclear issues, including the hazards of ionizing radiation, nuclear weapons, nuclear war and nuclear famine.
Tilman was born in Adelaide in 1955 and is a graduate of Monash University and Glen Waverley Secondary College.
He is married to Charlotte and the couple have two adult children, Ingrid and Kristian. He has described becoming a parent as strengthening his resolve and commitment to advocating for nuclear disarmament.
For over 20 years he has served as medical advisor to the international department of Australian Red Cross and has been a member of the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region's Hepatitis B Expert Resource Panel.
In 2012 Tilman was appointed Member of the order of Australia (AM) for service to the promotion of peace as an advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for public health through the promotion of immunisation programs in the South-East Asia Pacific region.
Tilman helped establish the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and was its founding Chair. In October 2017 ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the promotion of peace as an advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Tilman's interests overlap two of the six key areas of Rotary focus - Peace and Conflict Prevention/ Resolution, and Disease prevention and treatment. The Club has key initiatives in both these focus areas as part of its R100 Program, and Tilman's involvement will assist their implementation, communication and effectiveness.
Service above self is an unspoken but obvious attribute of Tilman. We believe that Tilman would be able to make a significant contribution to the Peace Building symposium proposed as part of the RCM Centenary celebrations. The R100 committee has already approached Tilman for help in its planning.
Tilman has a working knowledge of Rotary International, especially the polio campaign, and is keen to share his knowledge and expertise with us in the planning of the 2021 symposium. As an Honorary Member, we hope he may be able to participate widely in the broad affairs of Rotary, something he could not do as an ordinary member, given the total dedication he makes to his life's work.
