Marc Gladman

Dr Marc Gladman

Associate Prof/Reader

School of Biomedicine

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Marc A Gladman PhD MBBS DFFP MRCOG MRCS FRCS (Gen Surg) FRACS

Marc is a surgeon scientist and currently the Chair of the Section of Academic Surgery and Academic Surgery Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He is also the Chair of the Surgical Research Society of Australasia and was previously co-convener of the “Developing a Career and Skills in Academic Surgery”. Currently, he serves on the Specialist Education Accreditation Committee of the Australian Medical Council and the PASC of the Medical Services Advisory Committee of the Department of health. He has also served in advisory roles for the National Health Performance Agency, the Cancer Institute of NSW, Cancer Australia and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

He received his degree in Medicine from King’s College in the UK and was awarded a PhD by the University of London and then went on to complete a NIHR lectureship. He trained in both obstetrics and gynaecology and general surgery in the UK, receiving his Fellowship in 2008. Previously, he held the position of Chair of Colorectal Surgery at the University of Sydney.

Marc's clinical research spans patient-orientated and population-based themes. Each year more than 230 million major operations are performed worldwide, one for every 25 people in the world. Diseases of the bowel are among the commonest in the population, with bowel cancer being the second most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia and the second biggest cancer killer. it is unclear how many operations are performed for bowel problems in Australia each year and what results are achieved following surgery.

He also runs an enteric neuroscience laboratory focused at exploring the complex interaction between the intrinsic and extrinsic innervation of the gut and relating aberrations of the enteric and autonomic nervous systems to disturbances in gastrointestinal function leading to bowel problems such as constipation and incontinence, which each affect approximately 1 in 10 people.

Marc is a passionate and inspirational educator and has authored 10 textbooks, including the highly acclaimed “Examination Surgery: A Guide to Passing the FRACS in General Surgery” and “Clinical Cases and OSCEs in Surgery”, which has won recognition at international book awards. He is a member of the Academy of Surgical Educators and the Adelaide Education Academy and previously was the Director of the Medical Program at the University of Adelaide.

Marc's abiding research interest is understanding large bowel function in health and disease and its application to improve the care of the surgical patient. His research program includes integration of clinical and laboratory themes, incorporating patient-orientated (outcomes and clinical measurement) projects underpinned by structural and functional lab-based research. Current projects include:

  • Clinical phenotyping of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders;
  • Improved understanding of the pathophysiological basis of anorectal dysfunction;
  • Macro/microscopic anatomical derangements associated with gastrointestinal disorders and the anatomical basis of surgical interventions;
  • Interaction between the intrinsic and extrinsic innervation of the gut and its aberrations in gastrointestinal dysfunction

Marc is also actively engaged in technology-enhanced education-based research, objectively measuring the impact of novel education modalities on student performance and experience in the setting of randomised, cross-over trials. Current projects include:

  • Multimodality anatomical education in medical sciences;
  • The utility and effectiveness of 3D printing in the education of medical and science students
  • Improving student performance and experience through technology
  • Simulation-based education in under- and postgraduate training in medicine

Medtronic Project Grant: $70,000 - 1 year                                                    2013

Karl Storz Research Grant: $180,000 - 3 years                                            2012-2015

Validity of a virtual reality simulation of laparoscopic appendicectomy:  Development a proficiency-based training curriculum. Position CIA

Teaching Interests

Marc's teaching interests focus on technology-enhanced learning and incorporation of modern effective active learning pedagogies. He was an early adopter of the flipped classroom and uses experiential, team-based learning and process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in the education of medical students and postgraduate surgical and research students. He is a member of the Academy of Surgical Educators and the Adelaide Education Academy. Marc supervises PhD, MPhil, Masters and Honours  students, as well as student projects and electives.

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Teaching

Marc co-ordinates courses in a diverse portfolio of health and medical science degree programs. He was the Director of the Medical Program, coordinating the Medical Degree Program and overseeing the transition plans to an MD degree. He co-ordinates Anatomy Teaching in the MBBS program and Applied Clinical Anatomy (Anat Sc 3003) in the BHMSc. Previously, he coordinated Bachelor of Nursing 2005 & 2008: Biology of Human Disease and developed and designed the successful Surgical Masterclass and 3 course units for the Masters of Surgery at the University of Sydney.

Marc has written numerous surgical and career development books, including the highly acclaimed “Examination Surgery: A Guide to Passing the FRACS in General Surgery” and “Clinical Cases and OSCEs in Surgery: The Definitive Guide to Passing Examinations”, which is now in its third edition and has won recognition at the British Medical Association international book awards. He has also designed websites for surgical education: e.g. masterclass.surgery

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 Principal Supervisor Morphology, function and consequences of abnormality of the Pyramidalis muscle. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Craig Leslie Short
    2019 Principal Supervisor Management of Patients with Faecal Incontinence in the 21st Century: Optimisation of Assessment and Surgical Treatment using Sacral Neuromodulation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Marko Stojanovic
    2019 Co-Supervisor The microbiome-gut-brain axis in chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Courtney Brooke Subramaniam

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Variation in Surgical Anatomy of Sacral Nerve Roots and their Relation to the Sacral Foramina: University of Adelaide - Honours - Mr Marko Stojanovic
    2018 - ongoing Principal Supervisor Detailed evaluation of the human pelvic floor and its innervation: a cadaveric and immunohistochemical study University of Adelaide - Honours - Dr Rasika Samaranayake

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2020 - ongoing Chair Academic Surgical Committee Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Australia
    2020 - ongoing Chair Section of Academic Surgery Royal Australaisan College of Surgeons Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member Research and Academic Surgery Committee Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member PASC of the Medical Services Advisory Committee Department of Health. Australia
    2019 - ongoing Member Specialist Education Accreditation Committee Australian Medical Council Australia
    2017 - ongoing Chair Surgical Research Society of Australasia Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Australia
    2015 - 2020 Vice-Chair Section of Academic Surgery, RACS Royal Australaisan College of Surgeons Australia

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2017 - ongoing Member Adelaide Education Academy Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Academy of Surgical Educators -
    2014 - ongoing Member Section of Colon & Rectal Surgeons, RACS -
    2013 - ongoing Member Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand Australia

  • Consulting/Advisories
    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2015 - ongoing Cancer Australia National Cancer Control Indicators framework Health services and related -

  • Editorial Boards
    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2016 - ongoing Board Member Medical Journal of Australia - -
  • Position: Associate Prof/Reader
  • Phone: 83135035
  • Email: marc.gladman@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, floor 4
  • Org Unit: Medical Sciences
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