Asthma affects over 2.7 million Australians — that's 1 in 9 people and among one of the highest rates in the world. While asthma is a serious, lifelong condition, it's also very manageable and people can live a life without being hindered by its symptoms.

Join us for an insightful community event featuring leading asthma researchers and respiratory clinicians, focused on improving asthma management through the latest research, practical strategies, and personalised care approaches.

If you're someone living with asthma or caring for someone else, this event will equip you with evidence-based tools to help reduce the burden of asthma in your life.

This event caters to individuals with asthma throughout all stages of life, including pregnant women, children, and adults.

The event will include some light refreshments.
Register to attend in-person using the form below.
This event is also available to watch online via Zoom here.

Meet the presenters:

Professor Vanessa McDonald is a Professor of Nursing in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Newcastle, Australia and an honorary clinical nurse consultant in the Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at John Hunter Hospital. She is Co-Director of the NHMRC Centres of Excellence in Severe Asthma and Treatable Traits.

Her research interests are centred around the development of innovative approaches to the management of chronic airway diseases.  She is passionate about developing and implementing personalised medicine strategies that place the person at the centre of health care delivery.

For over 25 years, Vanessa has developed expertise in respiratory clinical nursing practice and education, contributed extensively to respiratory health advocacy and health policy, and developed as an internationally recognised respiratory researcher.
She is committed to committed to improving the health and quality of life of people with lung disease in our region and internationally, and to the mission of lung health.

Dr Rifat Chaudry is a UK-trained specialist in Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine with over 20 years of experience across leading tertiary and quaternary hospitals. Before relocating to Sydney in 2015, she served as a Consultant at the Royal London Hospital, managing both respiratory/sleep cases and general paediatric admissions.

She earned her Doctorate from Imperial College London, focusing on cardiopulmonary function in children with Sickle Cell Disease, and has presented internationally and published in high-impact journals. Her advanced training included prestigious roles at Great Ormond Street and the Royal Brompton Hospital under top UK clinicians.

Currently, she is a Staff Specialist at John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle, bringing a wealth of clinical and academic expertise to the care of children with complex respiratory and sleep disorders.

Professor Peter Gibson is a is a world leading authority in asthma, a respiratory physician, an active clinical researcher. He is Co-Director of the NHMRC Centre of Excellence in Severe Asthma and Treatable Traits, and a Senior Staff Specialist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at John Hunter Hospital.

Professor Gibson has developed new and effective ways to understand and treat different types of asthma and chronic cough. His work includes finding better ways to identify airway inflammation, understanding how nerves and the voice box (larynx) can affect coughing, and creating personalised treatment plans. He also specialises in managing complex breathing problems, including severe asthma, asthma during pregnancy, and airway diseases in older adults.

His research, clinical practice, and participation in guideline panels serve to bring research developments into focus as effective health care interventions that improve the health of people suffering from breathing disorders.

Professor Vanessa Murphy is an NHMRC Investigator Fellow at the University of Newcastle, Deputy Chair of HMRI's Asthma and Breathing Research Program. She is a research scientist investigating the characteristics, mechanisms and consequences of asthma exacerbations during pregnancy and their health impact on both the mother and baby.

Vanessa is an investigator with the Centre of Excellence in Treatable Traits, and led the development of the world-first online resource for both health professionals and families, the Asthma in Pregnancy Toolkit, which was launched in 2022.

One of Professor Murphy's major research achievements has been the Breathing for Life Trial where pregnant women with asthma have been monitored, along with their babies. The study started recruiting in 2013, with the last baby born at the end of 2019, with over 1200 mothers and babies providing qualitative and quantitative evidence to build on Vanessa’s work.

Mr John Harrington is a Registered Nurse and the Clinical Nurse Consultant for Airway Disease at John Hunter Hospital. He plays a pivotal role in advancing respiratory nursing, with a focus on developing multi-disciplinary approaches to airway disease and pioneering new models of care for conditions such as COPD, asthma, and pleural disease.

John is an active Professional Member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, co-convener of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Nursing Group, and a dedicated contributor to HMRI’s Breathing for Life Project.