Prof Natasha Smallwood is the Professor and Director of Respiratory Medicine at The Alfred Hospital (Melbourne) and Monash University School of Translational Medicine. She is a consultant respiratory physician with clinical expertise and research interests in breathlessness, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 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.

Professor Smallwood is also the Head of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Group at the School of Translational Medicine, Monash University. She leads the COPD and Breathlessness Services at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. She has over 150 publications and holds major research grants. In addition to her academic and clinical roles, she hold multiple leadership roles, including being the President of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and a member of the  College Council for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. She is a past Board Director for the Victorian Doctors' Health Program and has been 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.

Thesis Examiner

2023 - now         PhD theses

2022 - now         Honours students: Monash University

2021 - now         MD SIP Research Projects: Monash University

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.