Prof. Ron Grunstein joins the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences

Professor Grunstein is a world-leading physician and researcher in the field of sleep medicine, with over 30 years of clinical experience and groundbreaking contributions to improving patient care in Australia and internationally. He currently holds an Investigator Leadership Level 3 award from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – the Council’s highest-level research appointment.

He serves as Senior Staff Specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and as Professor of Sleep Medicine at both Macquarie University and the University of Sydney. He also heads the Sleep and Circadian Research Group at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and has been Chief Investigator A on three successive NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence (2004–2018).

Between 2007 and 2011, Prof. Grunstein served as President of the World Sleep Federation, leading two successful world congresses in Cairns and Kyoto. His numerous honors include the Australasian Sleep Association Distinguished Achievement Award (2010), the Nathaniel Kleitman Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2011), the Royal Prince Alfred Foundation Medal for Excellence in Medical Research (2012), and the Distinguished Professor Award from the Sydney Medical School (2014).

He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, and a recipient of the Academy’s Research Medal (2016). With over 430 publications, Prof. Grunstein is recognized as Australia’s most published sleep researcher. He holds degrees in Medicine and Surgery and an MD from the University of Sydney, a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and was appointed Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his significant contributions to medical research and education.