Hima Vedam

Dr. Hima Vedam serves as a Senior Staff Specialist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Liverpool Hospital and is Co-director of The Respiratory, Sleep, Environmental and Occupational Health Clinical Academic Group within SPHERE (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise). She has established comprehensive sleep and respiratory failure services at Liverpool Hospital and plays a key role in coordinating respiratory research efforts across the partnership, including COVID-19 research initiatives.

Her educational background includes MBBS, FRACP, and PhD qualifications. Dr. Vedam's doctoral thesis examined the links between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and cardiovascular disease, establishing the foundation for her subsequent research career.

Dr. Vedam's research program focuses on the assessment and management of obstructive sleep apnoea and hypercapnic respiratory failure. Her work spans multiple clinical contexts including general populations, super-obese patients, and pregnant women. She has led investigations into screening tools for sleep-disordered breathing, particularly examining the utility of awake supine oximetry and comparing different oximetry software programs against full polysomnography. Her research bridges clinical practice and scientific investigation, with strong emphasis on translating findings into practical clinical applications.

Dr. Vedam has received significant research funding including a post-doctoral Pfizer Australia Cardio Vascular Lipid Research Grant and the South West SYDNEY Local Health District Mid Career Grant (2017-2019), which supported her work on obstructive sleep apnoea's impact on post-operative cardiorespiratory outcomes.

As an academic supervisor, Dr. Vedam currently guides Dr. Yewon Chung and Ms. Frances Clements. She actively contributes to evidence-based practice through her membership on three Enable NSW Expert Clinical Committees, where she has helped update prescription guidelines for domiciliary oxygen, CPAP, and nocturnal ventilation devices. Additionally, she serves on the Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases Working Party and was instrumental in establishing the Respiratory, Sleep and Environmental Academic Unit at Liverpool Hospital in 2015.