PROFILE
Associate Professor Peter Richmond
Developing immunisations to save children’s lives
Associate Professor Peter Richmond is Head of Paediatrics within UWA’s Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. Professor Richmond works closely with the Telethon Kids Institute where he is Head of the Vaccine Trials Group, which sits in the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, of which he is a Co-Director.
Professor Richmond’s main research focus is the development and evaluation of new vaccines created to prevent bacterial and viral infections from spreading among young children.
Over recent years, Professor Richmond has focused on the prevention and treatment of meningitis, respiratory infections and middle ear infections.
In relation to meningitis, he conducted a controlled study to asses the Novartis Meningococcal B recombinant vaccine, which led to the vaccine being routinely adopted around Australia.
Professor Richmond has researched middle ear infections across Indigenous Australians, and discovered more than 80 per cent of Aboriginal children suffer from middle ear infections before they are one year old.
Other research has included developing a maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to protect infants, through their mother’s immunity, from birth until six months of age – a time when they are most vulnerable.
Alongside his research, Professor Richmond is a Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Immunologist at Perth Children’s Hospital, Head of the Department of Clinical Research and Education, and Director of the Child Health Research Network at Child and Adolescent Health Services. He is also Deputy Chair of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation at the Commonwealth Department of Health.
Third World ear infections in WA children
UWA Associate Professor Peter Richmond, who heads the Vaccine Trials Group based at Perth Children’s Hospital, said more work needed to be done on the bacteria and viruses that caused ear diseases and more research needed to be done into how children develop immunity.
Read moreThe first line of defence – immunisations
The strongest safeguard against the potentially fatal disease is prevention, and research by the Telethon Kids Institute has helped make immunisation more readily available to the age groups most at risk.
Read moreFunding
2018 – 2019
Menzies School of Health Research
- CRE Extension Activity - Koorlungkas yarning extention - speech pathology clinic
- Lehmann, D. & Richmond, P.
2018
WA Department of Health
- MHRIF Round 21 - Peter Richmond
- Richmond, P.
Vaccination breakthrough
Professor Peter Richmond, head of the Vaccine Trials Group, explained the process being used to develop the RSV vaccine was the same as the successful maternal pertussis vaccine, where expectant mothers are vaccinated to increase their antibodies against whooping cough, which they then pass on to their baby.
Read moreHead of Telethon Kids’ Vaccine Trials Group, Professor Peter Richmond, said the findings from the Maternal RSV Study have the potential to impact the health of babies on a global scale for years to come.
Head of Telethon Kids’ Vaccine Trials Group, Professor Peter Richmond, said the findings from the Maternal RSV Study have the potential to impact the health of babies on a global scale for years to come.
Read more