Dr Denise Parris is a board-certified paediatric pulmonologist and allergologist with more than 20 years of clinical and academic experience. She currently serves as the Academic Head of Paediatric Pulmonology and Paediatric Critical Care at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, where she oversees training, research, and the management of complex respiratory and critical care conditions in children. She also consults at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital as a specialist paediatric pulmonologist.

Dr Parris earned her MBBCh from the University of the Witwatersrand and completed her MPhil in Paediatric Pulmonology at the University of Pretoria. She is a Fellow of the College of Paediatricians of South Africa and holds subspecialist certifications in both Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergology.

Her areas of expertise include childhood asthma, allergic lung disease, recurrent and complex respiratory infections, rare interstitial lung conditions, pulmonary haemorrhage, and paediatric intensive care medicine. She completed her fellowship at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and trained in paediatrics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

Dr Parris is actively involved in research and academic development, with published work in *Current Allergy and Clinical Immunology* and the *South African Respiratory Journal*. Her academic contributions include topics such as RSV bronchiolitis, pulmonary haemorrhage, and critical care outcomes. She has also contributed to national clinical guidelines, including the revision of the Essential Drugs List (EDL) chapter on paediatric pain control.

Fluent in English and Afrikaans, and proficient in Greek and Italian, Dr Parris is known for her empathetic, family-centred approach and dedication to advancing paediatric respiratory and critical care medicine.

Position: Lecturer/ Specialist
Academic / Support: Academic Department
Faculty/Department: Health Sciences

• Contact: (012) 420-3111
• Email: [email protected]