ABOUT
A/PROF RANI BHATIA
Assoc. Professor Rani Bhatia, MBBS, MD, FRACP, MCLAM is a Senior Staff Specialist in Paediatric Allergy and Immunology at John Hunter Children’s Hospital, Newcastle and Conjoint Associate Professor in Child Health at The University of Newcastle. She is also a member of the Academy of Clinical Educators at The University of Newcastle.
Dr Bhatia has more than 20 years of experience in Paediatric Medicine and Child Health. She trained in General Paediatrics at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth before moving to Newcastle in 2005 to complete her specialist training in Clinical Allergy and Immunology. Dr Bhatia has been instrumental in setting up the Paediatric Allergy and Immunology Service at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital.
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Clinical Expertise
A/Prof Bhatia is an expert in managing allergic conditions such as food, insect and medication allergy, eczema, hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and asthma in children. She also has expertise in diagnosing and managing immune deficiencies, inflammatory conditions and autoimmune disorders. She collaborates and jointly manages eosinophilic oesophagitis and other eosinophilic gut diseases with paediatric gastroenterologists.
Dr Bhatia also has a special interest in feeding issues in infancy and early childhood. She works with dermatologists to help manage patients with severe eczema who may need immunosuppression. She has an interest in preventive health and is skilled in managing and advising patients who have had post-immunization adverse events.
Dr Bhatia has expertise in conducting skin prick allergy testing, intradermal testing and supervising food challenges. She also offers both oral and injectable immunotherapy.
A/Prof Bhatia is actively involved in research into food allergy and has co-authored several peer reviewed publications investigating diagnostic tools for allergy. She has received competitive grants for undertaking research from the John Hunter Charitable Research Trust Fund and the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation.
A/Prof Bhatia has a strong interest in education and training. She has been involved in teaching and examining undergraduate medical students and mentoring and preparing post graduate paediatric trainees. In recognition of her contributions she has been awarded the Research Mentor of the Year Award by the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation in 2010 and 2017.
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Research & Education