Vanessa McDonald

Vanessa McDonald is a research leader in HMRI's VIVA Program, co-leader of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Severe Asthma, and a practicing academic clinician in the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at John Hunter Hospital. Vanessa’s research interests are centered around the development of innovative approaches to the management of chronic airway diseases particularly severe asthma and COPD. Her translational research programme links biomedicine, clinical effectiveness and health policy development. The programme focuses on clinical trials of treatment interventions that are individualized and targeted to biomarkers, clinical, functional and self-management needs.

Vanessa has published widely in high-impact journals, book chapters and clinical practice guidelines for asthma, severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD). She has also had a lead role in the development of national health professional and patient-related resources to improve the knowledge and skills for the management of lung disease.

She has received a suite of peer-reviewed competitive research awards attesting to the quality of her work, including the HMRI's Early Career Researcher of the Year in 2013 and The University of Newcastle's Vice Chancellor's Award for Researcher of the Year in 2014.

Vanessa was a consultant and working party member for the review of the 2014 Asthma Management Handbook. She is also a member of the writing committees for the National COPD-X guidelines, the Australian Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines and the Respiratory Therapeutic Guidelines.