Rate My Professor Vanessa Murphy

Professor Vanessa Murphy is a Professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Newcastle and a Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) from the University of Wollongong, graduating in 1998 with the University Medal. Her professional career began in 2004 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Medicine and Public Health, followed by Research Fellow positions at the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute. Murphy has received numerous prestigious fellowships, including the NHMRC Australian Part-time Research Fellowship/Early Career Fellowship (2007-2013), NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (2014-2019), and currently holds an MRFF Investigator Research Fellowship and NHMRC Investigator Grant Scheme award (both 2021-2025).

Murphy's research investigates the characteristics, mechanisms, and consequences of asthma exacerbations during pregnancy and their impact on maternal and infant health, aiming for intergenerational benefits through improved asthma management. She is Chief Investigator on the Treatable Traits for Asthma Management in Pregnancy (TTAP) Study, extending findings from the Breathing for Life Trial (BLT), a multi-centre randomized controlled trial of inflammation-based asthma management during pregnancy. The BLT birth cohort examines perinatal outcomes, childhood wheeze and asthma development, and the effects of bushfire smoke exposure during pregnancy on child health. Her specializations include respiratory diseases, perinatal outcomes, infant and child health, obstetrics, and gynaecology. Key publications include "Asthma in Pregnancy" (2021), "Asthma – interrelationships with pregnancy" (2019), "Asthma and rhinitis in pregnancy" (2010), "Effect of asthma management with exhaled nitric oxide versus usual care on perinatal outcomes" (2022), "A Prospective Study of Respiratory Viral Infection in Pregnant Women With and Without Asthma" (2013, Chest), and "Management of Asthma in Pregnancy Guided by Measurement of Fraction of Exhaled Nitric Oxide" (2011, The Lancet). Among her honors are the Hunter Medical Research Institute Director's Award for Mid-Career Research (2024), European Respiratory Society Young Scientist Sponsorship (2005), Elsevier Science New Investigator Award (2003), and Australian Society for Medical Research Research Award (2002). Her work has provided evidence for novel asthma management strategies in pregnancy, improving health outcomes for mothers and their children into preschool age.