pradeep rajagopalan
Dr Rajagopalan is an internationally recognised respiratory, sleep, and general medicine physician with over 15 years of consultant experience across tertiary institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom. He holds fellowships from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians (London), and American College of Chest Physicians, and is a Diplomate of the European Respiratory Society (European Respiratory Diploma). Awarded the Australian Global Talent Visa in 2022 for his contributions to respiratory clinical trials and digital health innovation, he brings a proven track record of leadership in complex research environments. His international standing is reinforced by previous consultant roles at King’s College Hospital, London, and leadership in UK COVID-19 rRECOVERY trials. He is Senior Staff Specialist in Respiratory Medicine at Townsville University Hospital and Senior Lecturer at James Cook University School of Medicine.
Clinical Trials and Research Portfolio (scope and delivery) Dr Rajagopalan has extensive experience as Principal Investigator and Associate Investigator in national and international multicentre clinical trials across Phases I–III. His portfolio includes ICON-1 (inhaled clofazimine for pulmonary NTM), NTM-ENCORE (liposomal amikacin), the Australian Lung cancer Screening Trial (ALST), and the Oxford-led RECOVERY trial for COVID-19, alongside studies in COPD, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, tuberculosis, sleep-disordered breathing, and digital therapeutics for COMISA. He is Principal Investigator of the ALST First Nations satellite site at TUH (with TAIHS as confirmed satellite), sits on the ALST national committee, and is site PI on the AstraZeneca PIF-COPD study (ESR-25-23162). He is Sub-Investigator on BRIDGE, the Oxford-led international bronchiectasis registry and biobank. His expertise spans protocol development, ethics submissions, recruitment strategies, and ensuring compliance with data integrity and governance standards.
Competitive Funding and Research Infrastructure (awards and platforms) Dr Rajagopalan is Co-PI (with Dr Otty)on the recently awarded ACCN Networking for Cancer Equity grant (GO8093, $250,000; April 2026–June 2027), through which he is establishing a Rapid Access Lung Nodule Clinic at Townsville University Hospital. His active grant portfolio exceeds $250,000 in direct funding. He leads the Townsville TB Control Unit, the THHS-EBUS-TBNA Service (as sole credentialled operator), and maintains research infrastructure across respiratory medicine, interventional pulmonology, TB/NTM, and sleep medicine, enabling rapid activation and delivery of multisite studies from a regional base.
Regional Implementation, Equity and Cultural Safety (reach and impact) Currently based at Townsville University Hospital, Dr Rajagopalan provides respiratory services to a catchment spanning from the Torres Strait to Mount Isa and south to Mackay. His established networks with James Cook University, the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS), and regional Queensland Health facilities enable effective implementation of MRFF-funded projects across Northern Australia. He has demonstrated success in aligning diagnostic pathways with national performance targets, ensuring scalability and sustainability in regional settings, and enabling satellite sites at Mackay Base Hospital. His ALST First Nations satellite, developed in partnership with TAIHS, reflects a commitment to equitable research participation and culturally safe study design for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—directly meeting MRFF priorities for inclusion and generalisability.
Scholarly Outputs and Guideline Translation (credibility and uptake) Dr Rajagopalan has authored peer-reviewed more than 20 international abstracts presented at leading global congresses including ERS, ATS, BTS, BTOG, TSANZ, and COSA/OCP. He is co-author on national consensus work including IGRA interpretation in immunosuppressed patients. He is developer of the TUH Anti-TB Drug-Induced Liver Injury Protocol (TUH-RESP-TB-DILI-001), endorsed in principle by the national Tuberculosis Expert Advisory Group (TEAG, 2026), providing a direct pathway from institutional evidence synthesis to national guideline influence.
Professional Memberships and Capacity Building (workforce and training) Dr Rajagopalan’s memberships in ATS,IASLC, ERS, AASM, ACCP, AABIP provide strong collaborative links for international trial participation and knowledge exchange. As Senior Lecturer at JCU, he contributes to medical student and advanced trainee education in respiratory medicine and research methodology. Within the proposed project, his active bronchiectasis and NTM clinical practice, leadership of regional respiratory services, and track record in multicentre trial delivery position him to lead the Townsville site for this national consumer-led bronchiectasis registry and digital self-management platform. The North Queensland patient population—with its high burden of bronchiectasis, NTM, tropical infections, and significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation—adds critical regional and demographic diversity to the study cohort.