The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research

When Dr Donald Lee stepped into the role of Medical Director at the Woolcock Clinic at the start of February, he did so as a clinician shaped by more than 15 years on the front line of patient care. He believes his experience as a consultant respiratory and sleep physician who has also been running accredited sleep and respiratory function laboratories alongside a busy consulting practice is central to his new role.

“I’ve primarily been a clinician with a strong interest in research,” he explains. “I see myself as a conduit so that we can translate all the wonderful science and research we do at the Woolcock and make it of practical use for our patients.”

His goal is to strengthen the dialogue between clinical care and the Woolcock’s cutting-edge research, ensuring that it translates more directly into everyday patient benefit.

A sleep physician by training, Dr Lee is particularly energised by rapid developments in the treatment of sleep disorders. He points to the expanding range of therapies emerging in the near to mid-term, such as GLP-1/GIP medications (like Tirzepatide) — an area in which the Woolcock has played a significant role through major clinical trials. Alongside these are evolving surgical options and device-based therapies.

“There are also exciting opportunities in the space of sleepiness where new therapies are being explored that the Woolcock is actively part of the research. There are so many opportunities.”

For Dr Lee, however, the most important shift is not a single treatment but a model of care. “The field is moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach,” he says. “What excites me is that the Woolcock is already a truly multidisciplinary clinic.”

Neurologists, endocrinologists, sleep and respiratory physicians (both adult and paediatric), surgeons, dentists, psychologists, dietitians and nicotine treatment specialists all contribute to patient care. This breadth allows the clinic to address sleep-disordered breathing and related conditions from multiple angles, delivering more personalised and holistic care.

The inclusion of the new Smoking and Vaping Cessation Clinic within the Woolcock’s clinical scope is a clear example of this integrated thinking. While traditionally viewed through a respiratory lens, nicotine use also has direct implications for sleep. Dependence can contribute to insomnia and night-time awakenings, with patients sometimes waking to smoke, vape or adjust nicotine replacement therapy.

“That fits squarely within both sleep and respiratory health,” Dr Lee notes, highlighting how understanding these links can improve assessment and treatment of sleep complaints.

Beyond clinical innovation, Dr Lee sees significant opportunity in how the Woolcock presents itself to the broader community. Despite its long history and international research reputation, he believes the Woolcock can better communicate its strengths. “We are truly multidisciplinary, and that’s where the field is heading in a world of individualised care and precision medicine,” he says. “We need to showcase that.”

His perspective is shaped by years as a “consumer” of Woolcock research in his own practice. Like many clinicians, he has relied on locally generated evidence to guide patient care. Now, as Medical Director, he wants to make that pathway more visible and accessible – not only for Woolcock clinicians, but for the wider medical community. His mission is to help ensure that research produced at the Woolcock is routinely and confidently used in everyday clinical decision-making.

His vision is one of connection: between research and practice, between disciplines and between the Woolcock and the community of patients and clinicians it serves.

Find out more

• Services at the Woolcock Clinic
• Dr Donald Lee