Rate My Professor Steven Maltby

Dr Steven Maltby is an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He earned his PhD and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of British Columbia in Canada, where his doctoral research under Dr Kelly McNagny at the Biomedical Research Centre investigated the role of CD34 and podocalyxin in immune cell migration, using mouse models to demonstrate their importance in eosinophil and mast cell responses during inflammation, asthma, and ulcerative colitis. In 2012, Maltby relocated from Canada to Australia, joining the University of Newcastle as a postdoctoral research fellow supervised by Laureate Professor Paul Foster. His early research examined bone marrow responses to disease and viral infections. His career has been supported by several competitive fellowships, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2012-2015, $150,000), University of Newcastle Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2012), 2011 Research Fellowship - DVCR Strategic Appointment (PRCARD, 2012-2015, $348,315), Fellowship Start-up Grant (2012, $20,369), and CIHR/Heart & Stroke Transfusion Science Fellowship (2005-2010, $94,000).

Transitioning from basic immunology to research translation and dissemination, Maltby now focuses on communicating evidence to clinicians, patients, students, and the public through accessible formats. His fields of research allocation are virtual and mixed reality (50%), professional education and training (30%), and cellular immunology (20%). As Project Manager at the Centre for Advanced Training Systems since 2020, he leads initiatives like the TACTICS VR project, a virtual reality training platform for hyper-acute stroke care that improved statewide metrics, reducing door-to-decision time from 80 to 54 minutes. He previously served as Executive Officer for Excellence in Severe Asthma (2015-2019), contributing to the Severe Asthma Toolkit. Key publications include 'Rollout of a statewide Australian telestroke network including virtual reality training is associated with improved hyperacute stroke workflow metrics and thrombolysis rate' (Frontiers in Stroke, 2024), 'Implementation and sustainment of virtual reality stroke workflow training for physician trainees' (BMC Medical Education, 2024), 'Mouse models of severe asthma: Understanding the mechanisms of steroid resistance, tissue remodelling and disease exacerbation' (Respirology, 2017), and 'CD34 is required for infiltration of eosinophils into the colon and pathology associated with DSS-induced ulcerative colitis' (American Journal of Pathology, 2010). Maltby's work bridges high-quality evidence with practical training solutions in health and education.