Rate My Professor Sheryl Van Nunen

Sheryl Van Nunen is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Northern Clinical School of Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. She is a prominent clinician-educator and researcher in allergy and clinical immunology, with qualifications including MBBS from the University of Sydney, Master of Medicine in Sleep Medicine, and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). Over four decades associated with the University of Sydney, she practices as a Consultant Physician in allergic diseases, Visiting Medical Officer at Northern Beaches Hospital, and holds clinical professorships at both the University of Sydney and Macquarie University. Her clinical work includes managing hundreds of cases of mammalian meat allergy.

Professor Van Nunen gained international recognition for first identifying and describing the link between paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) bites and delayed anaphylaxis to red meat, termed alpha-gal syndrome, with initial findings presented in 2007 and published as "An association between tick bite reactions and red meat allergy in humans" in the Medical Journal of Australia in 2009 (co-authors: Kate S. O'Connor, Lesley R. Clarke, Richard X. Boyle, Suran L. Fernando). This seminal work positioned her as the first immunologist worldwide to publish on this phenomenon. Her publication record exceeds 65 papers, with over 1,200 citations on ResearchGate. Key publications include "Tick killing in situ before removal to prevent allergic and anaphylactic reactions in humans: a cross-sectional study" (Asia Pacific Allergy, 2019), "Post-mammoplasty connective tissue disease" (Arthritis & Rheumatism, 1982), "Quantifying the allergenic potency of mammalian meat sources" (Allergy, 2024), and a systematic review of tick removal techniques. In 2018, she contributed to developing a world-first freeze spray for in situ tick killing to minimize toxin release and anaphylaxis risk. She serves on the board of the National Asthma Council Australia and advocates for tick bite prevention strategies. Her impact is honored by the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2021 for service to medicine in clinical immunology and allergy, and Fellowship of the Royal Society of New South Wales (FRSN).