Professor Richard Harvey is a Sydney rhinologist and academic surgeon whose research connects disease mechanisms, clinical assessment and the practical delivery of treatment. He holds professorial appointments at UNSW Sydney and Macquarie University and heads the Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery program at UNSW’s Applied Medical Research Centre. [1]
Research impact
33,923 citations · h-index 73
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The research program addresses three connected areas: inflammatory nose and sinus disease, nasal breathing and function, and endoscopic skull base surgery. Its clinical emphasis is on understanding what is driving disease, selecting treatment for that mechanism and measuring whether the patient achieves meaningful benefit.
Inflammatory disease: classification that changes care
Professor Harvey’s collaborative work has helped describe chronic rhinosinusitis beyond the simple distinction between patients with and without nasal polyps. Disease distribution, inflammatory biology and the clinical phenotype—the pattern seen in the patient—provide a more useful basis for interpreting sinus disease. [2]
The Sydney group’s work on eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis connects surgery with long-term inflammatory control. Its published treatment model uses surgery to create access for topical medication, followed by ongoing corticosteroid irrigation. This makes postoperative medical treatment part of the surgical strategy from the outset. [3]
Allergy research adds another distinction. In central compartment atopic disease, the origin of the abnormal tissue and the allergic history help identify a treatment target. The group has investigated allergen immunotherapy alongside surgical care, linking treatment of established structural change with treatment of the allergic response. [4]
Explore the evidence and clinical reasoning on our chronic rhinosinusitis, allergy and precision treatment page.
Nasal breathing: connecting measurement with experience
Nasal airway research asks how physiological measurements relate to the sensation of breathing. Professor Harvey’s supervision has included work on nasal breathing perception and intranasal thermal imaging. A 2026 collaborative study examined the relationship between patient-reported symptoms and features of the rhinogram—the pressure–flow curve recorded during nasal breathing—beyond a single airway-resistance measurement. [5]
This research direction gives the patient’s experience a central role in evaluating nasal function. It supports careful assessment of symptoms alongside anatomy and physiological testing when considering the outcome of nasal airway treatment.
Skull base surgery: reconstruction and outcomes
Professor Harvey completed his PhD in transnasal skull base surgery. His published work includes a systematic review of reconstruction after large dural defects, examining the evidence surrounding closure and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Supervised research has also addressed pituitary surgery, quality of life and functional outcomes. [1] [6]
Academic leadership and training
Professor Harvey is a past president of the Australian and New Zealand Rhinologic Society and the Australasian Academy of Facial Plastic Surgeons, and a former Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Journal of Otolaryngology. His academic work includes international consensus contributions, research supervision and surgical education. [1]
His recent teaching includes the integration of surgery and biologic therapy, treatment decisions in central compartment atopic disease, and remission as a goal of combined medical and surgical care. These themes connect the group’s research with the decisions discussed by surgeons in clinical practice.
The program brings together clinicians, laboratory researchers, fellows and students. Collaborative authorship and supervision are integral to this work, with projects spanning doctoral, master’s, honours and medical student research.
Work and learn with the group in Sydney
Colleagues can explore the research and publications program or contact the group about research collaboration. Surgeons interested in clinical learning can review the visiting observer program and the one-year Sydney clinical fellowship.
For patient information and clinical enquiries, visit Professor Richard Harvey’s clinical website.
Academic profiles and selected publications
UNSW Sydney · Macquarie University · ORCID · Google Scholar
1. UNSW Sydney. Professor Richard Harvey: academic profile. Accessed 15 September 2026.
2. Grayson JW, Hopkins C, Mori E, Senior B, Harvey RJ. Contemporary classification of chronic rhinosinusitis beyond polyps vs no polyps: a review. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;146(9):831–838.
3. Li W, Ho J, Grayson JW, et al. Evaluation of diffuse type 2 dominant or eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis…after surgical neosinus cavity formation. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021;147(4):360–367. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2020.5286.
4. Meerwein CM, Sacks PL, Ho J, et al. The effect of allergen immunotherapy in patients with central compartment atopic disease post-surgery. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2025;15(2):128–134.
5. Darbari Kaul R, Alvarado R, Choy C, et al. Correlation of patient-reported symptoms with rhinogram features beyond simple airway resistance. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Published online 24 May 2026. doi:10.1177/00034894261454654.
6. Harvey RJ, Parmar P, Sacks R, Zanation AM. Endoscopic skull base reconstruction of large dural defects: a systematic review of published evidence. Laryngoscope. 2012;122(2):452–459.