Professor Andrew Davidson
Role:
Group Leader
Email:
Available for Student Supervision
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Professor Andrew Davidson
Biography:
Professor Andrew Davidson is the Medical Director of the Melbourne Children's Trials Centre (MCTC). The MCTC was established to be a leading centre for paediatric trials worldwide. In his role as Medical Director, Professor Davidson is involved in facilitating research for clinical research staff at The Royal Children's Hospital and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
Professor Davidson is also a Senior Staff Anaesthetist and Director of Clinical Research for the Royal Children's Hospital. He is also Head of Anaesthesia Research at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and Professor in Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne.
Professor Davidson trained in anaesthesia in Melbourne, Nottingham, Rotterdam and Boston. He has received a Diploma of Biostatistics and Epidemiology and Doctorate of Medicine (MD) from the University of Melbourne.
He is currently Editor-in-Chief for the journal Paediatric Anaesthesia, and an Editor for Anesthesiology. He has been awarded several National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants along with major research grants in Canada and the UK. Professor Davidson was the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Lennard Travers Professor in 2011.
He is deputy chair of the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network, Chair of the Steering Committee for the Paediatric Trials Network for Australia, and Chair of the Clinical Trials Committee of the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health.
Other Affiliations:
- Medical Director of the Melbourne Children's Trials Centre (MCTC), Melbourne, Australia
- Senior Staff Anaesthetist, Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Awards:
Fellow of Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, 2017
Harry Daly Award, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, 2016
Lennard Travers Professorship, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, 2011
Gilbert Troup Medal and prize, Australian Society of Anaesthetists, 2004
Research:
Professor Davidson is increasingly involved in the design and conduct of large clinical trials. For some trials he provides advice while in others he is an active collaborator or principal investigator. Professor Davidson is regularly asked to speak and write on clinical research, trial design and conduct. He has an interest in ethics of trials in children, being deputy chair of the human research ethics committee.
Professor Davidson is considered a key opinion leader in the research fields of neurotoxicity of anaesthesia in children, EEG during anaesthesia and awareness and memory formation during anaesthesia. He has conducted numerous studies in these areas and regularly speaks at conferences about these topics. Competitive grants for his research studies where he is CIA or chief investigator have totalled more than $10 million. Professor Davidson has been published widely in more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and written several book chapters.
Projects:
The TREX Trial/Anaesthesia and the developing brain: Andrew Davidson
EEG and Anaesthesia: Andrew Davidson
CHEWY Trial: comparing chewing gum to ondansetron for nausea and vomiting after surgery. Andrew Davidson
HAMSTER Trial: high-flow oxygen for children's airway surgery: Ben Hallett
Optimal anaesthesia for tonsillectomy: Ben Hallett, Rachel Chapman, Peter Squire, Andrew Davidson
Anaesthesia and Pain Management: Ian McKenzie, George Chalkiadis, Greta Palmer
Preoperative fasting and anaesthesia: Philip Ragg
CVAD Studies: Liz Prentice
Evaluating the adequacy of anaesthesia in the neonate: Bae Corlette
Optimal CT chest anaesthesia: Paul McCallum
McCann ME, de Graaff JC, Dorris L, Disma N, Withington D, Bell G, Grobler A, Stargatt R, Hunt RW, Sheppard SJ, Marmor J, Giribaldi G, Bellinger DC, Hartmann PL, Hardy P, Frawley G, Izzo F, von Ungern Sternberg BS, Lynn A, Wilton N, Mueller M, Polaner DM, Absalom AR, Szmuk P, Morton N, Berde C, Soriano S, Davidson AJ; GAS Consortium. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 5 years of age after general anaesthesia or awake-regional anaesthesia in infancy (GAS): an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled equivalence trial. Lancet. 2019 Feb 16;393(10172):664-677.
Davidson, AJ and Sun, LS. Clinical Evidence for Any Effect of Anesthesia on the Developing Brain. Anesthesiology 2018 Apr; 128(4):840-853.
Davidson AJ, Disma N, de Graaff JC, Withington DE, Dorris L, Bell G, Stargatt R, Bellinger DC, Schuster T, Arnup SJ, Hardy P, Hunt RW, Takagi MJ, Giribaldi G, Hartmann PL, Salvo I, Morton NS, von Ungern Sternberg BS, Locatelli BG, Wilton N, Lynn A, Thomas JJ, Polaner D, Bagshaw O, Szmuk P, Absalom AR, Frawley G, Berde C, Ormond GD, Marmor J, McCann ME; GAS consortium. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age after general anaesthesia and awake-regional anaesthesia in infancy (GAS): an international multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2016; 387(10015):239-50.
Davidson AJ, Disma N, de Graaff JC, Withington DE, Dorris L, Bell G, Stargatt R, Bellinger DC, Schuster T, Arnup SJ, Hardy P, Hunt RW, Takagi MJ, Giribaldi G, Hartmann PL, Salvo I, Morton NS, von Ungern Sternberg BS, Locatelli BG, Wilton N, Lynn A, Thomas JJ, Polaner D, Bagshaw O, Szmuk P, Absalom AR, Frawley G, Berde C, Ormond GD, Marmor J, McCann ME; GAS consortium. Neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age after general anaesthesia and awake-regional anaesthesia in infancy (GAS): an international multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2016; 387(10015):239-50.
Ing CH, DiMaggio CJ, Malacova E, Whitehouse AJ, Hegarty MK, Feng T, Brady JE, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Davidson AJ, Wall MM, Wood AJ, Li G, Sun LS. Comparative analysis of outcome measures used in examining neurodevelopmental effects of early childhood anesthesia exposure. Anesthesiology. 2014 Jun; 120 (6): 1319-32.
Sanders RD, Hassell J, Davidson AJ, Robertson NJ, Ma D. Impact of anaesthetics and surgery on neurodevelopment: an update. Br J Anaesth. 2013 Jun;110 Suppl 1:i53-72.
Oakley E, Borland M, Neutze J, Acworth J, Krieser D, Dalziel S, Davidson A, Donath S, Jachno K, South M, Theophilos T, Babl FE; Paediatric Research in Emergency Departments International Collaborative (PREDICT). Nasogastric hydration versus intravenous hydration for infants with bronchiolitis: a randomised trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2013 Apr;1(2):113-20.
Ing C, DiMaggio C, Whitehouse A, Hegarty MK, Brady J, von Ungern-Sternberg BS, Davidson A, Wood AJ, Li G, Sun LS. Long-term differences in language and cognitive function after childhood exposure to anesthesia. Pediatrics. 2012 Sep;130(3):e476-85
Sanders RD, Pandharipande PP, Davidson AJ, Ma D, Maze M. Anticipating and managing postoperative delirium and cognitive decline in adults BMJ. 2011 Jul 20;343:d4331.