Professor Patricia M. Davidson is a global leader in cardiac health and a trailblazer when it comes to the care of vulnerable populations, person-centred care delivery and evidence-based teaching. A registered nurse since 1980, Patricia spent 23 years as a frontline clinician and nurse manager before shifting her focus to research and teaching, and becoming Dean and Professor of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore, USA. She has served as the first woman and first alumna to become Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wollongong. She is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and workforce development and interdisciplinary practice, having co-chaired the Johns Hopkins Roadmap 2020 Task Force. The group was charged with examining and renewing the goals of the institution’s roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion and deepening efforts to advance equity and access.

Prof Davidson has served as counsel general of the International Council on Women’s Health Issues, and was a past board member of CUGH and secretary general of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centres for Nursing and Midwifery. She has also served on the Board of Health Care Services for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States. Prof Davidson has co-authored more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles and 29 book chapters. Throughout her career, she has focused on mentoring the next generation of health professionals and scientists, and in 2016 she earned the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers, the most prestigious research mentorship award in Australia. In 2021 she was the recipient of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) Distinguished Leader Award. This honour celebrates her exceptional contributions to the advancement of global health worldwide. In June 2022, Prof Davidson was awarded an honorary fellowship to the Royal College of Nursing, acknowledging her experience, accomplishments, and dedication to the nursing profession.

“I really believe in education and research as transformative forces to make a difference in the world. I am honoured and humbled to be able to shape the future in a small part by my work and the impact of my students and colleagues”.