Belinda Suthers

Belinda Suthers
Research Program:

What are your research interests?

  • Sleep and its interaction with metabolic diseases, particularly sleep disordered breathing
  • Helping other researchers design the best study to answer their questions
  • Optimising the running of hospitals or healthcare facilities to improve population health

Why did you get into research?

I have always been interested in trying to work out ‘why’ things happen. I’m passionate about doing the best for people and want to help others do the same.

What would be the ultimate goal for your research?

I want to understand the link between obesity and respiratory failure. There is more than just the weight of the person; hormones and the control of breathing are affected in some way.

Biography

Dr Belinda Suthers is a Clinical Epidemiologist, employed as the Health Services Research Fellow. She is also a Respiratory, Sleep and General Physician at John Hunter Hospital, dividing her time between these positions and occasionally managing to combine them together.

At HMRI she works to assist clinician researchers in their research study design. This ensures they have the best chance in both answering their research question and obtaining grants or funding to assist in their research.

Specialised/Technical Skills

  • Study design and analysis
  • Obesity and respiratory failure interactions

Affiliations

  • Staff Specialist, Department Respiratory and Sleep Medicine & Medicine and Interventional Services, John Hunter Hospital
  • Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
  • Member of the Australasian Sleep Association
  • Member of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
  • Member of the Internal Medicine Society of Australian and New Zealand
  • Member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine