Ian Wright

Biography

Having trained in Paediatrics in the U.K., I sub-specialised in neonatal medicine. I have a strong background in academic neonatal medicine, undertaking my research training with Professor Malcolm Levene in Leeds. I have experience at a senior level in major teaching hospitals in the UK, New Zealand and Australia, holding specialist qualifications in both the U.K. and Australia. I have been involved at these sites in the running of research studies ranging from physiology studies through to international multi-centred trials and thus have extensive experience of the difficulties of recruitment and involvement of sick neonates in clinical trials. Most of my research has examined aspects of cardiovascular function in neonates. In particular I have experience of a variety of vascular flow methods, including Ultrasonic Doppler, laser Doppler, flow probes (in animals) and xenon cerebral blood flow. I continued my interest in neonatal cardiovascular adaptation through my time as Neonatal Senior Lecturer in Auckland and to my current post in Newcastle. I am now a part of the Mothers and Babies Research Centre of the Hunter Medical Research Institute, directed by Professor Roger Smith and I have developed the project on the effect of gender on neonatal cardiovascular adaptation with Dr Vicki Clifton. This work has been developed from work that we have done looking at the mechanisms of microvascular control in pregnancy and the effects of preeclampsia. I have been responsible for the microvascular part of these studies. Local competitive grants and an equipment grant from local industry (2000-4) have funded this work, which has recently been performed as part of the PhD of Dr Michael Stark and has lead to international recognition, prize awards and several publications. I work 50% of my time as a Senior Staff Specialist Neonatologist and as 50% as Senior lecturer the Faculty of Health of the University of Newcastle. Research is an integral part of that work and I am currently undertaking a self-funded PhD. I have recently supervised 1 PhD student, and 2 honours students and two summer studentships, all awarded on time. I currently supervise 2 PhD students. I am actively involved in encouraging research participation by junior medical, nursing and allied health staff. I am the convenor of the ABC Children’s Research network – a group of over 100 children’s researchers in NSW. I am the paediatric representative on the Research Council of the Hunter Medical Research Institute. I am currently or have recently been local coordinator for several national and international studies aimed at improving outcomes for the sick or preterm infant including: the ICE trial (NHMRC ID:216725), BOOST2 (NHMRC ID: 352386), the Proprems trial and I was an Associate Investigator on The Bubbles for Babies trial of level 2 CPAP (NHMRC ID:253790) and DAISY trial of developmental outcomes of surgical infants (March of Dimes, US,). I am a PI on the TORPIDO study of oxygen targeting in the preterm and on the PremiRemi trial. I currently am sole CI on NHMRC grant 569285 2009-2013.

Research Interest

Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology , Clinical Sciences