Raina MacIntyre

Raina MacIntyre is an Australian epidemiologist and academic. She 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
Born1964 (age 58–59)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Alma mater
AwardsEureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science, 2022
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of New South Wales
Doctoral advisorAileen Plant

Early life and education

Born in Colombo in 1964, MacIntyre moved to Australia in 1973.[7] She was educated at Sydney Girls' High School, before studying medicine at the University of Sydney.[7] She was among the first graduates of the Master of Applied Epidemiology program established at the Australian National University by American epidemiologist Michael Lane, to whom she credits her interest in infectious disease epidemiology.[8]

Career

MacIntyre's work is focused on emerging infections, encompassing vaccines, personal protective equipment, aerosol dynamics, respiratory pathogen transmission, and the detection and prevention of bioterrorism. Other research interests include medical ethics and the prevention of disease in older people. Macintyre has more than 380 peer-reviewed publications, and contributes to expert committees and editorial boards.

After completing her PhD under Aileen Plant, MacIntyre was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to Johns Hopkins University.[7]

In Australia, MacIntyre became "a familiar face on television and radio" during the Covid-19 pandemic, her epidemiological commentary "calmly delivered from her bedroom, where she continues her research almost 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 of 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]

Books
  • Macintyre, Raina (2022). Dark Winter : An insider's guide to pandemics and biosecurity. Kensington, NSW: NewSouth Books. ISBN 978-1-74223-767-1. OCLC 1344309165.[18]

Prizes and awards
  • 2022 - Winner, Department of Defence Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science and Innovation.[19]
  • 2017 - CAPHIA Research Team Prize.[1]
  • 2016 - Fellow of The NSW Royal Society.[1]
  • 2014 - Peter Baume Public Health Impact Prize.[1]
  • 2014 - Public Health Association of Australia, National Immunisation Achievement Award.[1]
  • 2007 - Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize from the Association of Military Surgeons of the US for her work on bioterrorism.[1]
  • 2003 - Frank Fenner Prize[1]

Selected publications

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. "Critical leadership elements in times of crisis". UNSW Newsroom. 3 August 2021. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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.
  18. Review:
  19. AAP (31 August 2022). "Epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre among brilliant Australian scientists awarded Eureka Prize". The New Daily. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
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