Research Areas

The Discipline of Paediatrics is located at the Women's and Children's Hospital. It has extensive research collaborations with many departments of the Hospital, and the Women's and Children's Health Research Institute.

The department's Research Activities represent a wide range of interests. Examples of research programs are early indicators of outcome in insulin dependent diabetes, asthma and sleep disorders research programs, and studies on immunisation programs and the early development of the immune response. There is an active laboratory-based program on Molecular Immunology.

Funding for research in the department has been obtained from NH&MRC, ARC (Linkage grants), Channel 7 Research Foundation, the WCH Foundation, and other competitive granting bodies.

The Children's Research Centre unites research groups within the Discipline of Paediatrics and their affliate collaborators around common childhood disorders that cross and extend beyond traditional boundaries of paediatric specialities.

The Vaccine Data Linkage Study (VALiD Study) is administered within the Discipline, which is a project studying a new method of checking for rare reactions to vaccinations in children. 

The department also has strong research links with:

• Women's and Children's Health Research Institute : in particular the Molecular Immunology group headed by Associate Professor Simon Barry, which is co-located within the Discipline of Paediatrics, and the Applied Nutrition group head by Professor Maria Makrides.
• SA Pathology : in particular the Neurogenetics Research Program , headed by Professor Jozef Gecz, and his research group co-located within the Discipline of Paediatrics, coordinated by Dr Cheryl Shoubridge

Departments at the Women's and Children's Hospital affiliated with the Discipline of Paediatrics have research strengths which are recognised internationally in many areas. These include:

• Endocrine and Diabetes Centre, headed by Professor Jenny Couper
• Research & Evaluation Unit, headed by Professor Michael Sawyer
• Paediatrics Trials Unit, directed by Dr Helen Marshall
• Immunopathology Research Group, directed by Professor Antonio Ferrante
• Lyosomal Diseases Research Unit, headed by Professor John Hopwood
• South Australian Clinical Genetics Service, directed by Professor Eric Haan