Rate My Professor Donna Matthews

Donna Matthews serves as a Lecturer in the School of Allied Health and Human Performance, College of Health, at Adelaide University. Her academic journey is rooted in Medical Radiation Sciences, with a Diploma in Applied Science (Radiation Therapy) and a Bachelor of Health Science (First Class Honours), both obtained from the University of South Australia. Bringing over two decades of extensive clinical experience in Radiation Therapy from both public and private sectors across South Australia, she has excelled in leadership capacities, encompassing mentoring, education of students and staff, IT administration, and management responsibilities. This rich professional background informs her commitment to enhancing patient care through education and research.

In her teaching portfolio, Matthews delivers the introductory Medical Radiation Sciences course to first-year students and contributes to tutoring in the Aboriginal Health: Culture, Community, and Country course in collaboration with public health colleagues. She has guided numerous Radiation Therapy divisional honours and Medical Radiation Sciences undergraduate honours projects. Her research pursuits emphasize interprofessional learning and the cultivation of multidisciplinary research initiatives that foster student-driven exploration and experiential learning opportunities. Notable publications co-authored by Matthews include: Serwan et al., "Mechanical standardisation of mammographic compression using Volpara software," Radiography (2021); Serwan et al., "Mammographic compression practices of force- and pressure-standardisation protocol: a scoping review," Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences (2020); Huynh et al., "Are further studies needed to justify the use of proton therapy for paediatric cancers of the central nervous system? A review of current evidence," Radiotherapy and Oncology (2019); Huynh et al., "Current status of proton therapy outcome for paediatric cancers of the central nervous system – Analysis of the published literature," Cancer Treatment Reviews (2018); and Smith et al., "Radiation therapy staffing model 2014," Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences (2016). Through her pedagogical approach, which champions lifelong learning and interprofessional collaboration, Matthews continues to positively influence the next generation of healthcare professionals.