Welcome
Welcome to the Department of Critical Care (DoCC) within the Melbourne Medical School.
The DoCC is one of the few University departments anywhere in the world that embraces all three critical care specialties: anaesthesia, emergency medicine, and intensive care medicine.
Our Department collaborates across academic, political, government, and community sectors including nurses, allied health practitioners, scientists, leaders, and of course patients and the broader public. Through research, education, engagement, and direct clinical care, the DoCC improves individual patient journeys, public health, cost effectiveness, and workforce well-being.
Our Department By the Numbers
228
22
$21m+
426
4
189
25
12
Our People
Our leadership team oversee the three, integrated research and teaching streams, harnessing the expertise of a large network of more than 200 critical care specialists undertaking clinical care, research and education at more than 20 University-affiliated hospitals.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Melbourne Medical School is proud to foster a vibrant and inclusive culture delivering initiatives that value and support diversity.
Featured content
-
Coursework Degrees
Our coursework degrees are tailored to the workforce needs of the critical care community. We offer a dedicated Critical Care Honours stream for the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, and a Specialist Certificate, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Disaster and Terror Medicine.
-
Graduate Research Degrees
Enrolling in a graduate research degree with the Department of Critical Care is the perfect way to begin or progress your career. Current PhD students are conducting research on diverse topics, from frailty to meta analyses and publication outcomes; environmental costs of critical care to non anaemic iron deficiency.
-
Workshops and Short Courses
Enrol in one day workshops in Healthcare Carbon Literacy, Life Cycle Analysis, Disaster and Terror Medicine and more...
Why Study Disaster Medicine?
Disaster and Terror Medicine is a system-orientated specialty that intersects clinical medicine and a diverse group of emergency responding agencies. The courses are relevant to:
- Critical care clinicians (including doctors, nurses, clinical leaders)
- Emergency services (including paramedics, emergency responders)
- Hospital administrators
- Government and policy makers
- Social workers
- The military and more
Graduate Certificate in Disaster and Terror Medicine
Responding to climate change and terror events present complex challenges for emergency departments and hospitals. The frequency and severity of these events are increasing around the globe.
Bachelor of Biomedicine Critical Care Honours
The Department of Critical Care Honours Program is designed to offer research projects directly relevant to acute human disease and treatment of the high-risk, deteriorating and critically ill patients.
Projects are supervised by leading clinician scientists in the areas of anaesthesia, emergency medicine and intensive care medicine, across a range of University-affiliated hospital sites. All primary supervisors have prominent national or international profiles with outstanding track records of exceptional mentorship and supervision.
The Department of Critical Care promotes multi-centre research with the Departments of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine at the 20 hospitals affiliated with the University. We engage in collaborative and translational research with other clinical and biomedicine departments, Clinical Trials Networks, government and industry.
Featured content
-
Research Themes
Our research priorities are grouped within several key themes, encompassing elements of all critical care disciplines. This multidisciplinary approach aims to increase the opportunities for researchers to collaborate and develop evidence-based, patient-focussed integrated models of care, based on demonstrated clinical and cost effectiveness, where a clear need has been identified.
-
Research Projects
An overview of current research activity across our network, ranging from audits and observational studies to large clinical trials and our multidisciplinary program to increase research equity for culturally and linguistically diverse patients.
Graduate Research Students
Rebecca Caragata
Renin-angiotensin system dysregulation in liver transplant recipients
Find an Expert
Andrew Casamento
The use of narcotic agents and adjuvant therapies in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients: effects on sedation, analgesic requirements, short and long-term neurocognitive outcomes.
Find an Expert
Michelle Chong
Selective Nerve Blocks for Shoulder Pain: Anatomical Validation and Evaluation of Patient-Reported Outcomes
Rahul Costa Pinto
Vasopressor therapies in critically ill patients
Jess Davies
Translating environmental sustainability evidence into clinical practice in Australian hospitals
Reinhardt (Ryan) Dreyer
Evaluating the costs of Intensive Care: Developing a comprehensive costing model for value-based funding in Australia
Kate Emery
Care Coordination for Intensive Care Unit Survivors
Sophie Fincher
Haemoglobin in veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation oxygen affinity, tissue oxygenation; and defining transfusion thresholds
Luke Fletcher
The development and validation of a physiological haemodynamic model of the right heart and pulmonary circulation for use in the perioperative period
Find an Expert
Angaj Ghosh
The relationship between enteral nutrition, short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and microbiome during and after critical illness
Thomas Larsen
Drug-induced acute kidney injury in Australian hospitals
Chin Dam Nguyen
The impact of enteral when compared to parenteral electrolyte replacement in the critically ill.
Haustine Panganiban
Electronic Medical Records-embedded Clinical Trials (eTrials)
Megan Perrier
Laurie Showler
Improving restorative sleep during critical illness
Earlene Silvapulle
Cardiac Risk and Myocardial Injury in Surgical Patients
Patrick Tan
High flow humidified nasal oxygen in pregnant people
Geoffrey Wigmore
20% Human albumin solution fluid bolus administratIon therapy in patients after cardiac surgery
Featured content
-
Honorary appointments
We welcome applications for honorary appointments from individuals who make a significant, sustained contribution to the Department of Critical Care in at least two of the three following areas: Learning and Teaching; Research; Leadership.
-
Awards and prizes
Awards offered by the Department of Critical Care include the ANZCA Melbourne Awards for emerging anaesthesia researchers and the Kate Leslie Research Award for Honours students.
-
Alumni
Our alumni community brings together health professionals from around the world. Stay connected with this global network and access alumni benefits, news, exclusive events and more.
-
Donate
There are many ways to support the work of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, including donations that support students and academics, or gifts of valuable memorabilia that enrich our museums. We are grateful to our donors for their help creating scholarships, supporting ground-breaking research, building important partnerships and assisting community engagement.