Pioneering sleep apnoea research recognised

Dr Lauren Nisbet

Early career researcher and Monash Health junior doctor Dr Lauren Nisbet has been recognised for her pioneering and outstanding research into sleep apnoea in children.

Dr Nisbet has been selected by the World Association of Sleep Medicine to receive the Elio Lugaresi Award for Education at the opening ceremony of the World Congress of Sleep Medicine next month in Seoul, Korea.

The prestigious award is given to an early career researcher for an outstanding publication (the best original young investigator paper) in the affiliated peer-reviewed journal Sleep Medicine.

“This paper was important because we demonstrated a substantial cardiovascular surge immediately following both full airway obstruction (obstructive apnoeas) and partial airway obstruction (hypopnoeas) in preschool-age children,” said Dr Nisbet.

“This highlights the potential for cardiovascular risk in this population which is all the more important as hypopnoeas account for the majority of paediatric respiratory events, and sleep disordered breathing is most prevalent at preschool age.”

Dr Nisbet receives complementary conference registration and US$1000 as her award.

“I am thrilled to be acknowledged at an international conference and for my work to be recognised at such a high level, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to attend,” added Dr Nisbet.

“Conferences form a key part of a researcher's work, as they are an opportunity to present your findings, hear new research results, further your learning, and meet and network with scientists and clinicians from around the world.”

Having completed her medical degree and PhD at Monash University, Dr Nisbet is currently pursuing a career in paediatrics and would ultimately like to work as a clinician-scientist. 

She was only the third MBBS student to complete a Bachelor of Medical Science and continue on to graduate with MBBS/PhD at Monash University.