He is known as JV to many, but Associate Professor John Vassiliadis has been promoted to Captain for his contribution in the Royal Australia Navy.

As well as being a senior staff specialist in emergency medicine at Royal North Shore and a mentor to countless junior doctors, John has also been an active member of the Navy Reserve since joining in 2002.

Alongside his new rank, John was also appointed as the Director of Navy Health Training.

His passion for education has seen him heavily involved in the training of Navy personnel, as well as fulfilling medical duties in response to the humanitarian crisis in Banda Aceh.

“I feel lucky that I was born in a country that values diversity and provided me the opportunity to be whatever I wanted to be," John said.

“For me it is a way of giving something back and being involved in an organisation that is not only involved in protecting our way of life but also plays a pivotal role in humanitarian activities in our region.”