Dr. Melissa McDonell

Professor Melissa McDonnell is a Consultant In Respiratory Medicine based in Galway, Ireland. She specialises in the treatment of complex respiratory conditions, in particular bronchiectasis, asthma, COPD and cystic fibrosis. She holds a position as an Honorary Professor at the University of Galway, and has made significant contributions to the advancement of clinical knowledge in her field throughout her career. In her day to day practice, she manages a wide range of respiratory and general internal medicine conditions including bronchiectasis, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, interstitial lung disease and a range of challenging to treat respiratory infections. She established the severe bronchiectasis service in Galway, and is a leading expert in the management of this condition.

Professor McDonnell gained her degree in Medicine from the University of Newcastle in the UK in 2006. Following this, she completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Research from the University of Galway and McMaster University in Canada. She is passionate about research and has contributed to this throughout her career, including undertaking Clinical Research Fellowships with the European Respiratory Society and the Health Research Board of Ireland. She completed her PhD on comorbidities and disease severity associated with bronchiectasis. Her extensive clinical training includes post-doctoral pulmonary fellowships in Lung Transplantation and Host Defense at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.

Professor McDonnell has published over 100 articles in medical peer-reviewed journals during her career, and has co-authored both national and international guidelines about bronchiectasis and COPD. She is currently acting as co-chair for European guidelines addressing the management of anti-inflammatories in bronchiectasis, and she is a Principal Investigator at the University of Galway overseeing phase 1-3 clinical trials. She is a leading expert in her field of clinical practice and research, which ensures that the care she provides is of high quality and up-to-date with the latest clinical evidence.