Medical Research

What are your research interests?

• Chronic cough. I am interested in conducting treatment programs for patients with chronic cough to improve therapy options and understand the underlying laryngeal abnormalities associated with chronic cough.
• Paradoxical Vocal Fold Movement/Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Voice and upper airway problems in asthma

Why did you get into research?

I wanted to provide better treatment for my patients and found that research was the ideal way to do this.

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

My ultimate goal would be to find a cure for chronic cough or, better still, work out how to prevent unnecessary coughing from occurring in the first place.

Biography 

Dr Vertigan graduated from Latrobe University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Speech Pathology. She has worked for Hunter New England Health for the past 25 years with clinical roles including chronic cough, voice disorders and dysphagia. Dr Vertigan has a Master of Business Administration and a PhD through the University of Queensland. She has conducted several research projects regarding chronic cough and upper airway disorders.

Specialised/Technical Skills

• Speech pathology
• Chronic cough