Appointment of Professor Jo Douglass as Head of the Department of Medicine

Melbourne Medical School welcomes Professor Jo Douglass as Head of the Department of Medicine .

Message from Professor John Prins, Head of Melbourne Medical School

I am delighted to announce that Professor Jo Douglass has been appointed as Head of the Department of Medicine in the Melbourne Medical School.

Professor Douglass will already be known to many of you from her roles as the James Stewart Chair of Medicine at the University of Melbourne and Director of Research at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, both of which she will continue.

Professor Douglass is a physician who graduated in medicine from Monash University and trained in respiratory medicine and allergy at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and in the UK in Southampton and London. She holds an MD by research in translational immunology and has published more than 120 original papers with current interests in Thunderstorm Asthma and Primary Immune Deficiency diseases. She was previously Director of Medical Education at Monash University (Alfred Hospital, 2007 – 2009) and was Head, Department of Immunology and Allergy (Royal Melbourne Hospital 2012 – 2020).

In recent years Professor Douglass has led five funded investigator-initiated clinical trials supported by more than $1.5 million in funding. Professor Douglass serves on numerous speciality and industry advisory boards to implement clinical guidelines, she co-chairs the National Primary Immune Deficiency strategy and is a past president of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.

An integral part of the School Executive, this appointment supports the longstanding, diverse and unique strengths of the medicine discipline as well as the continued development of synergies with our health service partners. Through this appointment, Professor Douglass will lead medicine’s ongoing and major contribution to education, research, and research training programs.

The Head of the Department of Medicine is responsible for leadership of the discipline within and beyond the University and I look forward to seeing the department move from strength to strength under Professor Douglass’ leadership.