Sue Downie

Sue Downie is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong (UOW), affiliated with the School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences within the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health. She holds a permanent position since 2023 and has over a decade of academic experience, including prior roles as Lecturer (2016–2022) and Guest Lecturer (2013–2016). Her teaching responsibilities include coordinating courses like MEDI112 and MEDI100 in anatomy/physiology. She actively supervises Higher Degree Research (HDR) students in areas like chronic disease management and technology-enhanced learning.

Research Interests: Downie’s work focuses on health literacy interventions for chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes and COPD), patient activation strategies, and technology-driven educational innovations. Her systematic reviews highlight interventions improving self-management outcomes in outpatient settings. She also explores respiratory physiology, including asthma pathophysiology and obesity-asthma comorbidities.

Service & Leadership: She serves as Associate Head of School (Learning and Teaching) and sits on the MIHS Learning and Teaching Committee. She also contributes to Healthy Cities Australia’s Breathe Better Illawarra initiative.

Teaching & Grants: Received a SMAH Start-Up Grant (2023–2025) to study post-pandemic technology-enhanced learning perceptions across disciplines.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Healthy Cities Australia and leads interdisciplinary teams in medical education and chronic disease research.