Raina MacIntyre

Raina MacIntyre is the Professor of Global Biosecurity within the Kirby Institute at University of New South Wales and a National Health and Medical Research Council Principal Research Fellow, who leads a research program on the prevention and control of infectious diseases.[1][2] She is an expert media advisor and commentator on Australia's response to COVID-19.[3][4][5][6]

Raina MacIntyre
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Australian National University
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of New South Wales
InfluencesMichael Lane

Early life and education

Born in Colombo in 1964, MacIntyre moved to Australian in 1973.[7] She was educated at Sydney Girls' High School, before studying medicine at the University of Sydney.[7] She was one of the first graduates of the Master of Applied Epidemiology at the Australian National University, where she was influenced by American epidemiologist Michael Lane.[8]

Career

MacIntyre's career and work is focussed on emerging infections (which includes MERS Coronavirus), vaccines, as well as personal protective equipment, the aerosol dynamics, respiratory pathogen transmission. She also works on the detection and prevention of bioterrorism. Her research interests include the prevention of disease in older people, as well as the ethics of medicine. Macintyre has more than 380 peer-reviewed publications and contributes to many expert committees as well as editorial boards.

MacIntyre completed a PhD, under Aileen Plant, and then was awarded a Harkness Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, which is recognised 'the gold standard for public health research'. [7]

During the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia, MacIntyre was a regular science commentator, and 'a familiar face on television and radio', while she delivered coronavirus related news, 'all calmly delivered from her bedroom, where she continues her research around the clock'. [7]

Media

MacIntyre has been a regular commentator and contributor to Covid epidemiology, in The Guardian,[9] The Sydney Morning Herald,[3][10] as well as ABC News[11] and Q+A.[12] In a lunch interview with The Sydney Morning Herald she was described as a 'globally renowned" and "the cautious coronavirus communicator".[7]

MacIntyre has been interviewed extensively for her expertise during the pandemic in Australia, including an interview on booster jabs, by Norman Swan from the ABC,[13] and about vaccination roll-outs across different states.[14] She is recognised as one the "most recognisable faces whom the Australian media has designated an expert during COVID-19".[15] Her modelling, from the Kirby Institute, has been used to determine whether states will re-open or not.[16]

MacIntyre's portrait was painted for the 2021 Archibald Prize by artist Karen Black. Due to the frequent media appearances, she caught Black's fancy and the artist "set her heart on painting the professor for the Archibald Prize".[17] "How she explained the scientific facts around aspects of the virus was easy to comprehend," Karen Black commented.[17]

Prizes and awards
Prizes and awards[1]
Year Award
2003Frank Fenner Award
2007Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize from the Association of Military Surgeons of the US for her work on bioterrorism
2014Public Health Association of Australia, National Immunisation Achievement Award
2014Peter Baume Public Health Impact Prize
2016Elected a Fellow of The NSW Royal Society
2017Finalist, Australian Eureka Prizes
2017CAPHIA Research Team Prize
2020Finalist, Australian Eureka Prizes

References
  1. Kirby Institute (21 December 2020). "Kirby Institute".
  2. "Professor Raina MacIntyre". NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Population Health Research.
  3. MacIntyre, Raina (20 December 2020). "Why Sydney is facing a super-spreading disaster". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. "'Absolutely use the vaccine' in Sydney's northern beaches, medical experts say". www.abc.net.au. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  5. Sakkal, Paul (20 December 2020). "How do the Victorian and NSW responses stack up?". The Age. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  6. z3144889 (3 August 2021). "Critical leadership elements in times of crisis". UNSW Newsroom. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  7. Pitt, Helen (24 April 2020). "Lunch with Raina MacIntyre: cautious coronavirus communicator". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  8. "Remembering Dr Michael Lane". Research School of Population Health, Australian National University. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  9. Boseley, Matilda; McGowan, Michael (21 December 2020). "Hard lockdown needed to prevent Sydney Christmas Covid surge, health experts warn". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  10. Noyes, Tom Rabe, Mary Ward, Jenny (23 December 2020). "'Appetite for risk': How Christmas 'muddied' the decision to ease restrictions". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. "These experts say 'science was silenced' in the US and Europe. But in Australia the 'COVID war' is far from over". www.abc.net.au. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  12. "Raina MacIntyre". Q+A. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  13. "What's to know about booster jabs". ABC Radio National. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  14. "The vaccines have a 'maximum protection period'. And experts say non-COVID states could be missing it". ABC News. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  15. "Raina MacIntyre takes the high (fee) road". Australian Financial Review. 28 September 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  16. "Tasmanian borders to reopen on December 15". www.premier.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  17. "Professor Chandini Raina MacIntyre by Karen Black at the Archibald". Indian Link. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
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