Peter McFawn

A/Prof Peter McFawn is a graduate of UWA, with both his BSc and PhD. He then spent four years in a research fellowship position at Queens University in Canada before returning to UWA to take up his current position as an Associate Researcher, where he works closely with his former PhD supervisor, Prof. Howard Mitchell.

HMRC Research Grants

•Using computer controlled oscillated muscles to study and measure stimulated breathing.
•Using cellular cultures of smooth muscle to determine the cellular components of responses to stress
•Studying the damage to airways and muscles from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Potential Student Projects
Looking at human COPD versus controls (PhD)

A/Prof Peter McFawn teaches at both the Singapore and Perth campuses. The courses he teaches in Perth are:

Unit Co-ordinator:
PHYL3340 Advanced Cellular Physiology
PHYL3350 Physiological Control Mechanisms

Lecturer:
PHYL2255 Physiology of Human Body Systems
PHYL2260 Physiology of Adaption and Stress
IDNT1121 Foundations of Human and Animal Biology
Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP)

Lab Classes:
PHYL2245 Physiology of Cells

A/Prof McFawn primary research area is the respiratory physiology of airways from the mouth to the lungs, especially concerning the muscles associated with breathing. In healthy people the smooth muscle in the airways can be relaxed simply by taking a deep breath. However, people with medical problems such as asthma can suffer from hyper-tension of these muscles, making it difficult to breathe. As well as helping us to understand better how our bodies work, A/Prof McFawn's research can be directly applied to the health science and may one day help people with respiratory problems and diseases.

Collaborators
Peter Noble, Institute for Child Health Research (ICHR)
Alan James, Charles Gardener Hospital
Lyn Fernaders, Pharmacology, UWA