Rate My Professor Natalia Popowicz

Dr Natalia Popowicz is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice (Clinical Pharmacy) in the Master of Pharmacy program at The University of Western Australia, School of Health and Clinical Sciences, Pharmacy. She serves as a Clinical Pharmacist in Respiratory Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital since January 2006. Popowicz holds a BPharm (Hons) and PGradDipPharm from Curtin University, and a PhD from UWA (2020) titled 'Optimising Novel Therapies for Pleural Infection', which explored pleural fluid drainage, antibiotic optimisation, intrapleural tPA/DNase benefits, pleural infection bacteriology in Australia, bacterial-pleural fluid interactions, and piperacillin-tazobactam pleural pharmacokinetics. Her research specializations encompass clinical research on intrapleural tPA/DNase safety, efficacy, dosing and administration for pleural infection; laboratory investigations into Streptococcus pneumoniae surface proteins in empyema; cystic fibrosis patient outcomes; quality use of medicines; and clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. As Unit Coordinator for two major Pharmacy Practice units including hospital clinical placements and Pharmacy Practice curriculum coordinator in the Master of Pharmacy, she oversees vertical and horizontal curriculum integration and assessments exceeding Pharmacy Board of Australia standards.

Popowicz co-chaired the School of Allied Health Research Committee (2020), serves on the SHPA Federal Education Steering Group and SHPA Residency Advisory Committee, and has presented invited lectures at international and national respiratory conferences. She received the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award (Early Career, 2019), a 2020 nomination for Faculty Teaching and Service Award for Excellence in Teaching, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Best Poster Award - Interventional Pulm/Bronch SIG (2019), multiple Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Research Advisory Council Grants as Coordinating Principal Investigator (2016-2019), European Cystic Fibrosis Association Travel Grant (2018), and various scholarships including Australian Postgraduate Scholarship and Lung Institute of Western Australia Pleural Diseases Scholarships (2014-2017). Key publications include 'Alteplase Dose Assessment for Pleural infection Therapy (ADAPT) Study-2: Use of 2.5 mg alteplase as a starting intrapleural dose' (2022), 'Pharmacokinetics of antibiotics for pleural infection' (2022), 'The Steroid Therapy and Outcome of Parapneumonic Pleural Effusions (STOPPE): A Pilot Randomized Trial' (2022), 'Paediatric Eczema Model of Care for Pharmacists' (2022), and 'An international survey on the use of intrapleural tissue plasminogen activator/DNase therapy for pleural infection' (2022). Her translational research has contributed to changes in pleural infection management locally and internationally.