Melanie Lovell

Professor Melanie Lovell is a Clinical Professor in Medicine at the University of Sydney's Northern Clinical School, affiliated with HammondCare's Palliative Centre in Northern Sydney. She specializes in palliative care, clinical trials, and pain management, with a focus on cancer-related symptoms and implementation science. Her current projects include the EPICC initiative for cervical cancer elimination and the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap. She leads clinical trials exploring cannabis, lidocaine, and virtual reality for pain relief. Professor Lovell is actively involved in medical education, teaching palliative care principles and pain assessment to students. She holds the Steven M Grunberg Award (2021) and chairs the Pain Node of the Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative. Her research integrates spirituality and ethics into healthcare, addressing both clinical and societal challenges in end-of-life care.

Education and Credentials: MBBS, PhD, FRACP (Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians), FAChPM (Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine).

Research Themes:

• Cancer pain management and clinical guidelines
• Non-pharmacological interventions (e.g., virtual reality, exercise)
• Spiritual aspects of chronic illness
• Health system improvements in palliative care
• End-of-life decision-making ethics

Grants and Funding:

• National Breast Cancer Foundation Grant (2014): Implementing national pain pathways
• Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Grant (2012): Existential distress in pain patients

Labs/Teams: Principal investigator in the IMPACCT Trials Coordination Centre (UTS), member of the Asia Pacific Hospice Network, and collaborator with the Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer.