Natasha Smallwood

Assoc Professor

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Primary Breathe - improving the management of chronic breathlessness in the community

20072024

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

Prof Natasha Smallwood is a consultant respiratory physician with clinical expertise and research interests in breathlessness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, symptom management and severe lung diseases. She completed her undergraduate medical degree at Nottingham University, UK (1999), as well as her initial postgraduate medical training in the UK, before moving to Australia. In addition to her respiratory qualifications, she holds postgraduate qualifications in medical leadership, palliative care and epidemiology. Prior to moving to the Alfred Hospital and Monash University (2021), she was a consultant respiratory physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 11 years, where she led the Advanced Lung Disease and Domiciliary Oxygen Services.

 Prof Smallwood is the Head of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Group and Respiratory Research Training Lead at the School of Translational Medicine, Monash University. She leads a Breathlessness and Advanced Respiratory Disease Clinic at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. She has over 140 publications and holds major research grants. In addition to her academic and clinical roles, she hold multiple leadership roles, including being the President-elect for the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, and a Board Director for the Victorian Doctors' Health Program. She is a taskforce member for various national and international respiratory guidelines. In addition to her respiratory research, Prof Smallwood has interests in organisational leadership, crisis preparedness and gender equality.

Monash teaching commitment

Thesis Examiner

2023 - now         PhD theses

2022 - now         Honours students: Monash University

2021 - now         MD SIP Research Projects: Monash University

University Service

  1. GSK Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: Burden and Prevention national webinar (Online) June 2024 – Chair.
  2. CREATE Professional Development Meeting (Sydney) Nov 2023 – “Creating an Impact” symposium chair.
  3. The Limbic Meeting & National Webinar (Melbourne) Oct 2023 – “ERS 2023: Highlights through an Australian lens” chair.
  4. European Respiratory Society Annual Congress (Milan, Italy) Sept 2023 – “Critical care and management of chronic respiratory failure” thematic poster session chair.
  5. TSANZSRS Annual Scientific Meeting Christchurch, New Zealand Mar 2023 – symposium chair: “Clinical impacts of tobacco control and smoke free policies – Australia and New Zealand”.
  6. TSANZSRS Annual Scientific Meeting Christchurch, New Zealand Mar 2023 – session chair: COPD SIG orals.
  7. TSANZSRS Annual Scientific Meeting Christchurch, New Zealand Mar 2023 – session chair: COPD SIG posters.
  8. TSANZ National webinar Mar 2023 co-chair: “COPD Lancet Commission & Update”.
  9. NRSnet Inaugural Scientific Meeting Auckland, New Zealand Mar 2023 – session co-chair: “Transforming clinical practice guidelines into practice”.
  10. The Limbic National Webinar Feb 2023 – “E-cigarettes: threat or promise?” debate chair.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

Respiratory Medicine, PhD, University of Melbourne

Award Date: 27 Jul 2019

Palliative Care, Specialist Certificate, University of Melbourne

Award Date: 8 Apr 2014

Epidemiology, MSc, University of Melbourne

Award Date: 13 Dec 2011

Medicine, BMBS, University of Nottingham

Oct 1994Jul 1999

Medicine, BMedSci, University of Nottingham

Oct 1994Jul 1997

External positions

Primary Palliative Care Education, Training and Practice Working Invited Group Member, American Thoracic Society

2024 → …

Quality Use of Medicines in COPD Steering Committee Member, Lung Foundation Australia

2024 → …

President-elect TSANZ, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Limited

2024 → …

Co-chair - Australia & New Zealand Respiratory Audit Program, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand Limited

2023 → …

Honorary Respiratory Physician, Royal Melbourne Hospital

1 Jun 2021 → …

Consultant Respiratory Physician, Alfred Hospital

2021 → …

Clinical Associate Professor, University of Melbourne

5 Apr 2019 → …

Consultant Respiratory Physician, Melbourne Private Hospital

2019 → …

Honorary Respiratory Physician , Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Research area keywords

  • COPD
  • Dyspnea
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Models of Care
  • Palliative care
  • Severe lung diseases

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or