Dr Bradley MacDonald is a rural paediatrician and clinician-researcher with expertise spanning general paediatrics, neonatology, paediatric cardiology, and rare disease care. He works across metropolitan and regional Western Australia, including roles with Perth Children's Hospital and regional areas of need, while maintaining strong clinical and academic links the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. Dr MacDonald holds academic appointments across multiple universities and serves as Medical Coordinator for the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA), where he leads paediatric education, curriculum delivery, and student support across rural training environments.

His research focuses on acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, Indigenous child health, and models of care for children with rare and complex conditions in rural and remote Australia. Dr MacDonald is completing a PhD examining the epidemiology, progression, and outcomes of ARF and RHD using linked population data, advanced cardiac imaging, and clinical registries, with the aim of improving prognostication, timing of intervention, and health-system responses. This work has been supported by competitive funding and fellowships including the Raine Foundation, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Eric Burnard Fellowship, the AMA Aspire Award, the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Bayer Grant, Commonwealth Government research scholarships, and a University of Western Australia postgraduate award, and is undertaken in collaboration with national and international leaders in the field.

Alongside his research, Dr MacDonald holds senior leadership and advisory roles across education, workforce development, and policy. He co-chairs the RCSWA Penultimate Year Committee, overseeing curriculum design, assessment alignment, and student progression at a critical stage of medical training, and has led the development of innovative rural paediatric teaching and trainee programs. He contributes to state and national advisory groups in paediatric cardiology, sepsis, digital health, and rare diseases, and his work has been recognised through competitive awards, invited keynote lectures, and national and international conference presentations, reflecting a sustained commitment to clinical excellence, research translation, and leadership in rural child health.

Additionally, he has been nominated twice for the Paediatric and Congenital Prize at The Cardiac Society ASM, nominated for AMA Junior Doctor of the Year in 2022, Rural Health West Rural Specialist of the Year 2026, keynote speaker at AMA MedCon, as well as the Rural Health West Indigenous Health Conference and presented work on rheumatic heart disease internationally including at the American Society of Echocardiography Conference in 2022 with nomination to the prestigious President's Circle.