معرفی
Dr. Erin McGillick is a NHMRC Peter Doherty Early Career Research Fellow at The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, and an Adjunct Research Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Her research focuses on fetal and neonatal physiology, particularly the mechanisms of lung development and the transition from fetal to newborn life in compromised pregnancies.
Her educational background includes a PhD in Medical Science from the University of South Australia (awarded 2016) and a Bachelor of Laboratory Medicine with First Class Honours from the same institution (awarded 2012). Her research integrates molecular biology, functional physiology, and advanced imaging techniques such as synchrotron X-ray imaging to understand how conditions like gestational diabetes, maternal overnutrition, and intrauterine growth restriction impair lung development and increase respiratory complications at birth.
Dr. McGillick’s recent publications highlight a strong trend in preclinical models (lambs, rabbits, sheep) to study lung aeration, respiratory patterns, and interventions such as sustained inflation at birth. Her work spans neonatal respiratory physiology, cardiorespiratory transition, and the use of ultrasound and phase-contrast imaging for real-time assessment of lung function. These studies aim to generate preclinical evidence for future clinical trials to improve outcomes for premature and compromised infants.
Her scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards:
- Australian Institute of Policy and Science Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2018)
- Australian Society for Medical Research International Research Award (2017)
- Best Early Career Researcher Oral Presentation, Fetal and Neonatal Workshop of Australia and New Zealand (2017)
- Fresh Science Finalist (2017)
- Monash University Bridging Postdoctoral Fellowship (2017)
Dr. McGillick has secured competitive research funding and leads projects such as Improving the fetal to neonatal transition in compromised newborns, where she serves as Primary Chief Investigator. She collaborates extensively with physiologists, physicists, and clinicians across institutions. She currently serves as Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research (since November 2019), reflecting her leadership in the scientific community. While no formal students are listed, her role as a principal investigator suggests mentorship of junior researchers. Her lab is embedded within The Ritchie Centre, a leading perinatal research hub, where multidisciplinary teams work on translational neonatal science.
