Dr Neil Mcmillan
Senior Research Fellow
School of Medicine
College of Health
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 manage the research program for the Vascular and Endovascular Service at the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, with academic, clinical, and community partners throughout SA and the country. 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 project 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, including:
- 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!
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Senior Research Fellow | University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - 2023 | Affiliate Senior Lecturer | The University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - ongoing | Principal Medical Scientist | Central Adelaide Local Health Network |
| 2020 - 2023 | Senior Research Officer | University of Adelaide |
| 2019 - 2021 | Senior Research Development Officer | University of Adelaide |
| 2013 - 2017 | Postdoctoral Fellow | University of Alberta |
| 2009 - 2013 | Animal Care Technician (part-time) | University of Western Ontario |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | University of Western Ontario | Canada | PhD, Psychology |
| 2009 | University of Western Ontario | Canada | MSc, Psychology |
| 2007 | Wilfrid Laurier University | Canada | BSc (Honours), Psychology |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Hon, K. Y., Bain, M., Edwards, S., Pena, G., McMillan, N., & Fitridge, R. (2025). The association of sarcopenia and frailty in diabetes-related foot disease: A 3-year prospective evaluation.. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 18(1), e70038-1-e70038-11. Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1 |
| 2025 | Meuli, L., Gavali, H., Budtz-Lilly, J., Khashram, M., Lattmann, T., Lopez-Espada, C., . . . Mani, K. (2025). Trends in Treatment Strategies and Perioperative Outcomes for Complex Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A VASCUNET Report. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 1-61. |
| 2025 | Desire, C. T., Arrua, R. D., Michalatos, B., Zhang, J., Venn, X. L., Breadmore, M., . . . Cowin, A. J. (2025). Development of 3D printed microchips with encapsulated channels as miniaturized separation devices for bioanalysis. Analytica Chimica Acta, 344971. |
| 2024 | Graham, K., Fitzpatrick, K., Agius, J., Loughry, C., Ong, E., McMillan, N., . . . Fitridge, R. (2024). A qualitative exploration of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people using a real-time video-based telehealth service for diabetes-related foot disease. Rural Remote Health, 24(1), 7970-1-7970-9. Scopus1 WoS2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2024 | Hon, K. Y., McMillan, N., & Fitridge, R. A. (2024). Gap analysis of diabetes-related foot disease management systems in Pacific Islands Countries and Territories. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), 324-1-324-8. Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC4 |
| 2023 | Graham, K., Siatis, C. M., Gunn, K. M., Ong, E., Loughry, C., Mcmillan, N., & Fitridge, R. (2023). The experiences of health workers using telehealth services for diabetes-related foot complications: a qualitative exploration. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 16(1), 47-1-47-14. Scopus4 WoS5 Europe PMC4 |
| 2022 | Scierka, L. E., Mena-Hurtado, C., Shishehbor, M. H., Spertus, J. A., Nagpal, S., Babrowski, T., . . . Smolderen, K. G. (2022). The shifting care and outcomes for patients with endangered limbs – Critical limb ischemia (SCOPE-CLI) registry overview of study design and rationale. IJC Heart and Vasculature, 39, 1-9. Scopus5 WoS4 Europe PMC3 |
| 2019 | McMillan, N., & Spetch, M. L. (2019). Anticipation of a midsession reversal in humans. Behavioural Processes, 159, 60-64. Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC2 |
| 2018 | Ludvig, E. A., Madan, C. R., McMillan, N., Xu, Y., & Spetch, M. L. (2018). Living near the edge: how extreme outcomes and their neighbors drive risky choice. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(12), 1905-1918. Scopus30 WoS28 Europe PMC15 |
| 2017 | Du, Y., McMillan, N., Madan, C. R., Spetch, M. L., & Mou, W. (2017). Cue integration in spatial search for jointly learned landmarks but not for separately learned landmarks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 43(12), 1857-1871. Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC6 |
| 2017 | McMillan, N., Spetch, M. L., Roberts, W. A., & Sturdy, C. B. (2017). It's all a matter of time: Interval timing and competition for stimulus control. Comparative Cognition and Behavior Reviews, 12(1), 83-103. Scopus13 WoS12 |
| 2017 | McMillan, N., Hahn, A. H., Congdon, J. V., Campbell, K. A., Hoang, J., Scully, E. N., . . . Sturdy, C. B. (2017). Chickadees discriminate contingency reversals presented consistently, but not frequently. Animal Cognition, 20(4), 655-663. Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC3 |
| 2017 | Hahn, A. H., Campbell, K. A., Congdon, J. V., Hoang, J., McMillan, N., Scully, E. N., . . . Sturdy, C. B. (2017). Discrimination of acoustically similar conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations by black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Animal Cognition, 20(4), 639-654. Scopus2 WoS2 |
| 2017 | Hahn, A. H., Congdon, J. V., Campbell, K. A., Scully, E. N., McMillan, N., & Sturdy, C. B. (2017). Mechanisms of Communication and Cognition in Chickadees: Explaining Nature in the Lab and Field. Advances in the Study of Behavior, 49, 147-197. Scopus5 WoS5 |
| 2017 | Proppe, D. S., McMillan, N., Congdon, J. V., & Sturdy, C. B. (2017). Mitigating road impacts on animals through learning principles. Animal Cognition, 20(1), 19-31. Scopus22 WoS16 Europe PMC7 |
| 2017 | Sturdy, C., Campbell, K., Congdon, J., Hahn, A., McMillan, N., & Scully, E. (2017). Moving from perceptual to functional categories in songbirds. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 30, 2-14. Scopus2 |
| 2017 | Scully, E. N., Hahn, A. H., Campbell, K. A., McMillan, N., Congdon, J. V., & Sturdy, C. B. (2017). ZENK expression following conspecific and heterospecific playback in the zebra finch auditory forebrain. Behavioural Brain Research, 331, 151-158. Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC5 |
| 2017 | Ludvig, E. A., Madan, C. R., McMillan, N., Xu, Y., & Spetch, M. L. (2017). Living near the edge: How extreme outcomes and their neighbours drive risky choice. |
| 2016 | Congdon, J. V., Hahn, A. H., Mcmillan, N., Avey, M. T., & Sturdy, C. B. (2016). Chickadee behavioural response to varying threat levels of predator and conspecific calls. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 29, 1-19. Scopus3 |
| 2016 | Hahn, A. H., Hoeschele, M., Guillette, L. M., Hoang, J., McMillan, N., Congdon, J. V., . . . Sturdy, C. B. (2016). Black-capped chickadees categorize songs based on features that vary geographically. Animal Behaviour, 112, 93-104. Scopus9 WoS7 |
| 2016 | McMillan, N., Sturdy, C. B., Pisklak, J. M., & Spetch, M. L. (2016). Pigeons perform poorly on a midsession reversal task without rigid temporal regularity. Animal Cognition, 19(4), 855-859. Scopus12 WoS12 Europe PMC7 |
| 2015 | McMillan, N., & Sturdy, C. B. (2015). Commentary: A crisis in comparative psychology: Where have all the undergraduates gone?. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(OCT), 2 pages. Scopus9 WoS6 Europe PMC3 |
| 2015 | Mcmillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2015). A three-stimulus midsession reversal task in pigeons with visual and spatial discriminative stimuli. Animal Cognition, 18(1), 373-383. Scopus17 WoS16 Europe PMC13 |
| 2015 | Hahn, A. H., Hoang, J., McMillan, N., Campbell, K., Congdon, J., & Sturdy, C. B. (2015). Biological salience influences performance and acoustic mechanisms for the discrimination of male and female songs. Animal Behaviour, 104, 213-228. Scopus11 WoS10 |
| 2015 | Mcmillan, N., Hahn, A. H., Spetch, M. L., & Sturdy, C. B. (2015). Avian cognition: Examples of sophisticated capabilities in space and song. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 6(3), 285-297. Scopus8 WoS5 Europe PMC4 |
| 2015 | McMillan, N., Sturdy, C. B., & Spetch, M. L. (2015). When is a choice not a choice? Pigeons fail to inhibit incorrect responses on a go/no-go midsession reversal task. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Learning and Cognition, 41(3), 255-265. Scopus25 WoS25 Europe PMC13 |
| 2015 | Hahn, A. H., Guillette, L. M., Lee, D., McMillan, N., Hoang, J., & Sturdy, C. B. (2015). Experience affects immediate early gene expression in response to conspecific call notes in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Behavioural Brain Research, 287, 49-58. Scopus7 WoS8 Europe PMC6 |
| 2014 | McMillan, N., Kirk, C. R., & Roberts, W. A. (2014). Pigeon (Columba livia) and rat (Rattus norvegicus) performance in the midsession reversal procedure depends upon cue dimensionality. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 128(4), 357-366. Scopus30 WoS30 Europe PMC20 |
| 2014 | Kirk, C. R., McMillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2014). Rats respond for information: Metacognition in a rodent?. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 40(2), 249-259. Scopus27 WoS26 Europe PMC19 |
| 2013 | McMillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2013). Pigeons rank-order responses to temporally sequential stimuli. Learning and Behavior, 41(3), 309-318. Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1 |
| 2013 | McMillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2013). Interval timing under variations in the relative validity of temporal cues. Journal of Experimental Psychology Animal Behavior Processes, 39(4), 334-341. Scopus8 WoS7 Europe PMC2 |
| 2012 | McMillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2012). Pigeons make errors as a result of interval timing in a visual, but not a visual-spatial, midsession reversal task. Journal of Experimental Psychology Animal Behavior Processes, 38(4), 440-445. Scopus47 WoS45 Europe PMC26 |
| 2012 | Roberts, W., McMillan, N., Musolino, E., & Cole, M. (2012). Information Seeking in Animals: Metacognition?. Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews, 8, 85-109. WoS35 |
| 2010 | McMillan, N., & Roberts, W. A. (2010). The effects of cue competition on timing in pigeons. Behavioural Processes, 84(2), 581-590. Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC5 |
| 2009 | Roberts, W. A., Feeney, M. C., McMillan, N., MacPherson, K., Musolino, E., & Petter, M. (2009). Do Pigeons (Columba livia) Study for a Test?. Journal of Experimental Psychology Animal Behavior Processes, 35(2), 129-142. Scopus65 WoS54 Europe PMC46 |
| 2008 | Van Rooyen, P., McMillan, N., & Santi, A. (2008). Rats' memory for event duration in delayed matching-to-sample with nonspatial comparison response alternatives. Behavioural Processes, 78(1), 1-9. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2008 | Roberts, W. A., Feeney, M. C., MacPherson, K., Petter, M., McMillan, N., & Musolino, E. (2008). Episodic-like memory in rats: Is it based on when or how long ago?. Science, 320(5872), 113-115. Scopus142 WoS125 Europe PMC95 |
| 2008 | Levant, R. F., Graef, S. T., Smalley, K. B., Williams, C., & McMillan, N. (2008). Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Male Role Norms Inventory-Adolescent (MRNI-A). BOYHOOD STUDIES-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, 2(1), 46-59. WoS10 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Mcmillan, N., Avey, M. T., Bloomfield, L. L., Guillette, L. M., Hahn, A. H., Hoeschele, M., & Sturdy, C. B. (2017). Avian Vocal Perception: Bioacoustics and Perceptual Mechanisms. In C. ten Cate, & S. D. Healy (Eds.), Avian Cognition (pp. 270-295). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. DOI |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2016 | McMillan, N., Wirth, T., Berger, S., Ouk, L., Skog, L., Beltz, N., . . . Braun, S. (2016). The Durational Effects of High Intensity Interval Training on Physiological Variables in Recreationally Active Individuals. In MEDICINE AND SCIENCE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE Vol. 48 (pp. 864). MA, Boston: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2015 | Janot, J. M., Carlson, B., Cook, M., Nelson, K., Taiple, J., Turnquist, T., . . . McMillan, N. (2015). Effectiveness Of Resistance Band Training On Scapular Stability In High School Baseball Players. In MEDICINE AND SCIENCE IN SPORTS AND EXERCISE Vol. 47 (pp. 930). LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. DOI |
| 2025-2027 | Systematic lipid profiling and therapy optimisation in vascular surgical patients with very high-risk atherosclerotic disease | P Psaltis, B Thurston, RA Fitridge, S Bacchi (N McMillan AI) | CALHN CEO Rapid Implementation Scheme | $200,000 |
| 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 |
| 2024-2025 | Transforming diabetes assessment using artificial intelligence and photonics to measure skin health | RA Fitridge, R McLaughlin (N McMillan AI) | University of Adelaide Healthy Societies FAME Strategy Scale Grant | $249,056 |
| 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
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Principal Supervisor | The impact of treatment patterns on quality of life in individuals with critical limb ischaemia | Master of Clinical Science | Master | Full Time | Miss Suhanya Seimon |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 - 2022 | Associate Editor | Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews | Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews | United States |
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