Professor Trisha Peel

Professor Trisha Peel is an experienced infectious diseases physician and clinical trial investigator whose career has focused on improving patient care through research‑led approaches to surgical practice. She is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow (Level 1) and holds joint appointments as Deputy Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Monash University and Alfred Health, and as Clinical Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship Services at Alfred Health. In addition, she is a practising Infectious Diseases Physician at Alfred Health, with over 20 years of clinical experience.

Her work is directed towards improving outcomes for patients undergoing surgery in Australia and internationally. Professor Peel’s research programme focuses on generating robust evidence to prevent surgical infections, reduce avoidable harm, and ensure that antimicrobial use in surgery is both effective and responsible. Central to this program is the design of large‑scale, pragmatic clinical trials capable of delivering clear answers to questions that directly influence everyday clinical practice.

Professor Peel completed her undergraduate medicine studies at The University of Melbourne and then completed a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research at Monash University. Professor Peel then completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Surgery at The University of Melbourne, a deliberately cross‑disciplinary pathway that shaped her focus on surgical infection and perioperative medicine. She subsequently undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, where she developed expertise in microbiology and translational research. This combined clinical and research training underpins her approach to trial design and research leadership.

Professor Peel has secured substantial competitive funding to support her work and now provides national and international leadership in multicentre, adaptive, and platform trials in surgical infection prevention. Her research aims not only to generate high‑quality evidence, but also to ensure its translation into practice through guideline development, policy engagement, and health system change. She also works closely with patients and consumers, adopting patient‑centred approaches, to develop education for infection prevention to ensure measurable benefit for patients. In parallel, she has led national efforts to improve antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals and the community, contributing to sustained improvements in antibiotic use and informing healthcare policy.

Professor Peel’s contributions to research, collaboration, and mentorship have been recognised through national awards, including the NHMRC Research Excellence Award and the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Trial of the Year. Her work has been published in leading international journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine. Through her research, leadership, and education, she has delivered measurable impact on clinical practice, health policy, and patient outcomes, demonstrating how rigorous research can advance safer and more responsible surgical care.