Peter Wark

Peter Wark is a Professor of Medicine at Monash University and holds adjunct professorships at the University of Newcastle. He serves as Director of Cystic Fibrosis and RES2 at Alfred Health, Melbourne, and leads the Victorian state-wide Cystic Fibrosis service supporting over 340 adult patients. He also directs RES2, providing care for bronchiectasis and chronic lung disease patients. His clinical roles include severe asthma and general respiratory clinics at the Alfred Hospital, with a focus on complex airways disease. He has held leadership roles including Medical Director for NSW Respiratory Services (2020-2023) and board positions with Cystic Fibrosis Australia and the National Asthma Council.

Education:

• Bachelor of Medicine, University of Newcastle (1991)
• PhD in Respiratory Medicine, University of Newcastle (2001)
• Masters in Clinical Trial Design, University of Sydney (2023)

Research Interests:

• Airway inflammation mechanisms in chronic lung diseases
• Innate immune responses and respiratory virus interactions
• Translational clinical trial design for asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis
• Development of precision medicine strategies for chronic airways diseases

His research group has pioneered viral detection in airway secretions and in-vitro epithelial models for studying infection/inflammation dynamics.

Recent Research Trends: Publications focus on biologic therapies for asthma remission, cough management guidelines, cystic fibrosis exacerbation protocols, and regional asthma prevalence patterns. His work bridges clinical practice and research to improve personalized treatments.

Awards:

• 2017: Fellow of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand
• 2021: Asia Pacific Society of Respirology Fukuci Award
• 2018: Vice Chancellor’s Collaboration Award for Severe Asthma Toolkit

Grants & Projects:

• Leading 12 active projects including clinical trials for COPD treatments and cystic fibrosis therapies
• Investigating aerosolized therapies and vaccination adjuvants
• Developing patient-reported outcome measures for healthcare systems

Labs/Teams: Co-directs the Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs at the University of Newcastle and collaborates with HMRI Immune Health Research Programme.