Lisa GowthorpNissen Nissen

Professor; Head, School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology

Lisa completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy at The University of Queensland, graduating in 1993, followed by pre-registration and subsequent employment as a pharmacist with Queensland Health at metropolitan and rural hospitals. She returned to UQ to undertake a PhD focusing on the quality use of medicines, which was completed in 2002. Following postdoctoral research, she took up a position of lecturer at the School of Pharmacy, UQ in June 2003. Lisa was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2006, and Associate Professor in 2010. Lisa is currently Professor and Head of the School of Clinical Sciences at Queensland University of Technology.

Lisa is interested in improving the way in which medications are used, especially in the general community, and this forms the basis of her teaching, research, and professional activities. She has provided 200 invited presentations both nationally and internationally and is a sought after speaker. These have included keynote addresses, plenary lectures, workshop presentations and debates / panel discussions.

Professional Role

Lisa was the elected chairman of the Queensland branch committee of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists (SHPA) in 2004-2006 and became a Fellow of SHPA in 2007. After being involved with the continuing education committee of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Queensland branch for many years, Lisa was elected to the branch committee in 2006 and President of the Queensland Branch of the PSA in 2007, a role she continued until 2015. She was then elected to represent Queensland on the National Board of the PSA in 2008 and served as National Vice President in 2009-2010. In 2011 she was awarded a Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

Lisa was awarded the PSA Young Pharmacist of the Year in 2002 and the PSA Pharmacist of the Year in 2008 – she is the youngest recipient of the Pharmacist of the Year and the only person to have received both awards. Lisa is one of Australia's first credentialed Advanced pharmacy Practitioners and is regarded as one of pharmacies most influential people.

Lisa represents the pharmacy profession and provides advice to local, national and international groups on the role of pharmacists in health care and the quality use of medicines. This includes work has included organisations such as the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging, the International Pharmacy Federation, and the World Health Organisation. She actively contributes to the Pharmacy profession and the wider health network in many ways including presentations for education events and conferences and writing regular articles for professional media.

Teaching

Lisa received a UQ Commendation for Excellence in Teaching in 2006 a UQ Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2007, and won Australian Award for University Teaching from the Australian Learning & Teaching Council (formally known as the Carrick Institute) in 2008 and 2013.