Professor Patricia M. Davidson is currently a Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of New South Wales and served as Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Wollongong from 2021-2024. She was previously dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore in the United States. Her career has focused on improving the outcomes of individuals living with chronic illness and developing policy relevant health interventions.

 

A primary objective of Professor Davidson’s research has been to improve patient outcomes through the development of innovative, acceptable, and sustainable models of healthcare interventions.  Across four decades, her clinical and research initiatives have focused on improving the outcomes of individuals living with chronic illness. Through multidisciplinary collaborations, she has developed and implemented interventions to limit disease progression (cardiac rehabilitation, heart failure specific rehabilitation, delirium management), promote self-management (multiple chronic conditions), facilitate symptom measurement (management of breathlessness, pain, anxiety and depression) and enable person-centered planning for treatment choices (advance care planning) and improving the quality of care for individuals, patients and their families (preventing rehospitalisation, providing instrumental and social support).

 

Professor Davidson has received funding the National Institutes of Health, the National Health & Medical Research Council, and the Australian Research Council. She has served as the Co-Director of the Enrichment Core for the National Institutes for Health, National Institutes of Nursing Research, P30 Promoting Resilience in Persons with Multiple Chronic Conditions Promote Center at Johns Hopkins University. Throughout her career CI Davidson has focused on mentoring the next generation of health professionals and scientists. In 2016 she was the first nurse to receive the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers.

 

Registered Nurse (Australia)

 

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2050-1534

SCOPUS Author ID: 7202137456

 

PhD, Behavioral Sciences, University of Newcastle (Australia)

Master of Education, University of Wollongong (Australia)

Bachelor of Education, University of Wollongong (Australia)

 

Fellow Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (2024)

Alan Goble Lecture Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (2024)

Honorary Doctorate in Nursing Science Mahidol University (2024)

Nell J. Watts Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award by Sigma Theta Tau International (2023)

Kempson Maddox Lecture Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (2023)

Honorary Doctorate, University of Technology Sydney (2023)

Fellowship Royal College of Nurses (2022)

Global Leadership Award Consortium of Global Health (2021)

International Award Advance Australia Education and Research (2021)

Maryland’s Top 100 Women (2019)

Fellowship Ad Eundem Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (2019)

Honorary Doctorate, Kings College London (2018)

Fellow of the National Heart Foundation of Australia (2018)

Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers (2016)

Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence – Global Category (2016)

Distinguished Alumni Award University of Newcastle, Australia (2014)

Distinguished Alumni Award University of Wollongong, Australia (2013)

Fellow of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nursing Association (2013)

Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2013)

Fellow of the American Heart Association (2013)

University of Technology Sydney Researcher Development Award Vice Chancellors Awards for Research Excellence (2012)

Finalist Eureka Awards for Exceptional Mentorship of Young Researchers (2012)

Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame (2012)

Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing (2007)

Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Cardiovascular Nursing Lecture (2007)

President International Council on Women’s Health Issues (2006)

University of Western Sydney, Vice Chancellors Commendation for Teaching and Post Graduate Supervision (2005)

Affiliates Prize Winner, Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (2003)

Membership of Sigma Theta Tau International - Xi Omicron Chapter (2002)

Nuffield Trust Clinical Leadership Scholarship (2000)

Nurse of the Year St George Hospital Kogarah (2000)

Heart Foundation Community Heart Week Award (1998)

Wollongong Hospital Gold Medalist (1980)

 

Policy

Leadership

Cardiovascular Nursing

Global Health

 

Chronic and Complex Illness

Cardiovascular

Palliative Care

 

A behavioral sleep intervention enabled by a virtual coach for people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia: A proof-of-concept study. Funded by Start-up Fund for New Recruits, University Grants Committee) (Co-investigator, Project No.: P0054797) (2025-2027) (Hong Kong)

 

Telephone-coached "graphic narrative" bibliotherapy for informal caregivers of people with dementia: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Funded by General Research Fund, University Grants Committee) (Co-investigator, Project No.: 15602723) (2024-2026) (Hong Kong)

 

Federated Omniverse Facilities for Smart Digital Futures. Funded by Australian Research Council. (Project No.: LE240100131) (2023) (Australia)

 

Effects of e-bibliotherapy on the psychological wellbeing of informal caregivers of people with dementia: A randomized controlled trial. Funded by Research and Medical Research Fund (Co-investigator, Project No.: 20211151) (2023-2026) (Hong Kong)

 

Lim, A., Benjasirisan, C., Tebay, J., Liu, X., Badawi, S., Himmelfarb, C. D., Davidson, P. M., & Koirala, B. (2025). Gender Differences in Disease Burden, Symptom Burden, and Quality of Life Among People Living With Heart Failure and Multimorbidity: Cross-Sectional Study Journal of Advanced Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16797

 

Li, J., Fong, D. Y. T., Lok, K. Y. W., Wong, J. Y. H., Ho, M. M., Choi, E. P. H., Pandian, V., Davidson, P. M., Duan, W., Tarrant, M., Lee, J. J., Lin, C. C., Akingbade, O., Alabdulwahhab, K. M., Ahmad, M. S., Alboraie, M., Alzahrani, M. A., Bilimale, A. S., Boonpatcharanon, S., . . . Youssef, N. (2025). Country-specific key lifestyle factors and health outcomes for resource allocation in the general population: a network analysis across 29 countries . Journal of Global Health, 15, Article 04011. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.15.04011

 

Davidson, P. M. (2024). What makes a world-class nursing school and why does this matter? [Editorial]. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(9), 3445-3447. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16223

 

De Raeve, P., Davidson, P. M., Bergs, J., Patch, M., Jack, S. M., Castro-Ayala, A., Xyrichis, A., & Preston, W. (2024). Advanced practice nursing in Europe—Results from a pan-European survey of 35 countries Journal of Advanced Nursing, 80(1), 377-386. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15775

 

Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand

American Academy of Nursing

 

Cardiovascular Nursing

Nursing Leadership

Global Health