Professor Kate Leslie featured in TopMedTalk’s new Perioperative Profiles series

At the Evidence-Based Perioperative Medicine meeting in Dingle, TopMedTalk host Dr Andy Cumpstey interviewed Professor Kate Leslie AO FAHMS, specialist anaesthetist, Head of Anaesthesia Research at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Honorary Professor at The University of Melbourne, for the new “Perioperative Profiles” series.

Professor Leslie reflected on her Melbourne upbringing in a science-loving family, with a nurse mother and an agricultural chemist father who fostered curiosity, discovery, and adventure through camping trips across Victoria. Her early fascination with pharmacology, combined with guidance from mentors including Dr David Crankshaw at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, A/Prof Brendan Silbert at St Vincent's Hospital, and Dr Daniel Sessler at the University of California, San Francisco, shaped her path into anaesthesia research.

After completing an MD and a Master of Epidemiology, Professor Leslie progressed from small single-site projects to leading large, multi-centre trials, as a pioneering member of the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network (CTN). Discussing landmark CTN studies such as B-Aware, Balanced and SNaPP, she credited the collaborative and inclusive culture of Australia and New Zealand for the network’s enduring success, along with support by the college, the CTN leadership, dedicated research co-ordinators and investigators, and, above all, patients.

Beyond research, Professor Leslie spoke candidly about imposter syndrome, gender bias, and the importance of diversity, and self-reflection in leadership. A passionate editor, she also discussed her work with the British Journal of Anaesthesia and Miller’s Anesthesia. The conversation concluded with reflections on her recent honours, including the ASA Excellence in Research Award and her appointment as an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO), celebrating a career defined by curiosity, mentorship, global impact, and, as Andy noted, exceptional skiing skills.