Dr Maria Sukkar completed her PhD in Pharmacy at The University of Sydney in 2002. Dr Sukkar’s research expertise is focussed on understanding the cellular and molecular pathways that lead to chronic airway inflammation and airflow obstruction in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Dr Sukkar was a post doctoral research scientist at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London for seven years (2001 – 2007) and has held a position as Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at the Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney for the past four years (2008 – 2011). Dr Sukkar has principally been involved in developing, teaching and co-ordinating pharmacotherapeutics and professional practice courses for final year Pharmacy students in the Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney. Dr Sukkar continues to pursue her research interests in airways disease and currently has several PhD students under her supervision. Dr Sukkar joined the UTS School of Pharmacy as Senior Lecturer in November 2011, and is also an Honorary Associate of the Woolcock Institute of Respiratory Medicine

Sukkar, M.B. & Chung, K.F. 2008, 'The Airway Smooth Muscle in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)' in Airway Smooth Muscle in Asthma and COPD: Biology and Pharmacology, pp. 201-233.