Penny Burns is a General Practitioner working in a hospital based general practice and in a GP respiratory clinic in Sydney. Her clinical title with ANU Medical School is with the Academic Unit of General Practice.

She has been working, researching, and teaching in the field of disasters now for over a decade. She is passionate about the need to integrate general practice in disaster management systems. Reflecting her interest, Penny has many roles related to disasters at local, state, national and international levels.

Penny has further research interests in human behaviour in road tunnel evacuations; management of animals in disasters; infection protection control in frontline healthcare workers; and a digital approach to prevention and treatment of PTSD prevention.