Neil Mcmillan

Dr Neil Mcmillan

Senior Research Fellow

Adelaide Medical School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I am Principal Medical Scientist for Vascular Surgery at the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research (The Queen Elizabeth Hospital) and a Senior Research Fellow with the University of Adelaide. I was previously a Senior Research Development Officer with the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. I leverage my background in psychological science to coordinate a variety of clinical research, with expertise in data and research management, grant writing, strategic analysis, and professional development.

Until recently, I was a research fellow and laboratory coordinator in psychology studying animal behaviour and cognition across a range of topics, including: interval timing, decision-making, number discrimination, episodic memory, metacognition, and categorization. I completed my Honours degree at Wilfrid Laurier University and my MSc and PhD at the University of Western Ontario (as NSERC Canada Graduate Scholar), as well as a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Alberta (all in Canada). I also taught undergraduate courses in learning, behaviour modification, and animal cognition.

Chronic lower extremity wounds are common and cause significant morbidity, distress, and loss of quality of life. Leg and foot ulcers are most frequently caused by cardiovascular disease and diabetes-related neuropathy. The management of these wounds is time-consuming and expensive, and the annual burden of diabetes-related foot disease (DRFD) alone in Australia caused an estimated 1,700 deaths and 5,200 lower limb amputations in 2019/20 according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

As research manager for the Vascular Surgery Research Group, I research novel technologies and organise large, multi-centre outcomes studies in assessment and monitoring of diabetes-related foot complications and lower-limb ischaemia. Our research program is designed to address the many multi-disciplinary gaps in patient care for this cohort. Our projects include:

  • implementation studies of telehealth models for diabetes feet care, especially using advanced technologies (mixed reality, artificial intelligence, wound imaging apps)
  • creation and testing of Virtual Reality training modules for community care workers to help manage diabetes-related foot disease in Aboriginal people
  • blood and tissue biobanking and patient registries for cardiovascular disease and lower-limb complications
  • patient-centered outcomes in chronic limb-threatening ischaemia
  • new treatments and targets for infections in diabetes-related wounds

Our ongoing approach to better telehealth is explained below:

For more on my past research interests, please check out my Reddit AMA on animal cognition!

2025-2027 Exercise for diabetes-related foot wounds: A randomised feasibility trial L Matricciani, C Maher, RA Fitridge, K Graham, C Loughry, B Singh, S Rogasch, C Marathe, N McMillan, D Dumuid, T Ferguson Medical Research Futures Fund - Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Mechanisms $713,532
2023-2028 An Augmented Reality program to improve telemedicine delivery and wound research for people with chronic lower-extremity ulcers RA Fitridge, N McMillan, Z Szpak, C Loughry, P Worley, S Wingard, A Szpak, K Graham Medical Research Futures Fund - National Critical Research Infrastructure scheme  $2,270,382
2021-2022 Improving telemedicine delivery for Aboriginal people with diabetes-related foot complications using Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) RA Fitridge, A Brown, K Morey, C Loughry, S Jones, Z Szpak, A Szpak (N McMillan AI) DoH Indigenous Australians' Health Programme Grant $575,020
2016-2018 Reducing the Allure of Winning Cues in Gambling ML Spetch, EL Ludvig, C Madan, N McMillan Alberta Gambling Research Institute Major Grant $134,506
2009-2012 Effects of Cue Competition on Timing in Pigeons N McMillan Natural Science & Engineering Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship $105,000

 

 

 

Principles of Learning and Behaviour (PS381); University of Alberta (2016)

*Behaviour Modification (PS282); University of Alberta (2015; 2017)

*Theory in Learning & Comparative Cognition (PS485); University of Alberta (2014; 2016)

Introduction to Behaviour (PS281); MacEwan University (2014)

*Department of Psychology Teaching Honour Roll with Distinction & 2017 Interdisciplinary Science Students’ Association Award for Excellence in Teaching

 

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Chair Vascular Surgery Research Consumer Advisory Panel The University of Adelaide Australia
    2016 - 2016 Secretary Postdoctoral Fellows Association University of Alberta Canada
    2015 - 2016 Member 3-Minute Thesis Judging Panel University of Alberta Canada
    2015 - 2016 Member Department of Psychology Council University of Alberta Canada
    2012 - 2013 Secretary Ontario Ecology, Ethology, & Evolution Colloquium Organizing Committee University of Western Ontario Canada
    2011 - 2011 Member Space and Facilities Committee University of Western Ontario Canada
    2009 - 2010 Member Society of Graduate Students University of Western Ontario Canada
    2007 - 2011 Member Graduate Teaching Assistant Union University of Western Ontario Canada

  • Community Engagement
    Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country
    2023 - ongoing Health Translation SA Action Group Public Community Engagement Health Translation SA -
    2018 - 2018 Enquiries Desk & Oncology Ward Support Volunteer Public Community Engagement Calvary North Adelaide Hospital Australia
    2017 - 2017 Patient/Family Safety Advisory Panel - Health Quality Council of Alberta Canada
    2016 - 2017 New Patient Facilitator, Wayfinder, & Patient Advisor Public Community Engagement Cross Cancer Institute Canada
    2016 - 2016 Communications Working Group - IMAGINE Citizens for Health Canada

  • Editorial Boards
    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2017 - 2022 Associate Editor Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews United States
  • Position: Senior Research Fellow
  • Email: neil.mcmillan@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Queen Elizabeth Hospital
  • Building: Institute Building, floor Second Floor
  • Org Unit: Surgical Specialities
Connect With Me
External Profiles