Prof Stephen McDonald is a nephrologist and clinician-researcher. He is currently Director of the Adelaide EpiCentre, staff nephrologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Clinical Lead for Country Renal Services for South Australia. His clinical practice spans all areas of nephrology and kidney transplantation. He chairs the SA Renal Statewide Clinical Network, and is Executive Officer of the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, and co-chairs the National Indigenous Kidney Transplant Taskforce. He is a founder and academic co-lead of SAHMRI Registries, and sits on a number of related government committees.

His research interests centre around the epidemiology of renal disease and the use of Registry data to examine access to and outcomes of health care. Catalysing change and improvement in dialysis and transplantation has been a particular focus.

He has published over 300 papers and received multiple research awards. In 2025 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to nephrology.