Our People

Professor Claire Roberts

Claire is an inaugural NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Professor and Matthew Flinders Fellow. She leads the Pregnancy Health and Beyond Laboratory (PHaB Lab) within the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University.

Claire moved her research group to Flinders University in March 2020 after 25 years at the University of Adelaide where she is an Adjunct Professor. She is an internationally recognised authority and thought leader in placenta research. She has a strong interest in genetic and modifiable lifestyle factors including maternal nutrition that contribute to health in pregnancy and long into the future for mother and child. She has lead research on large human pregnancy cohorts in Adelaide since 2005.

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Professor Carol Maher 

Carol has a background in physiotherapy; her research focuses on how children's and adults' daily activity patterns (e.g. physical activity, sleep and sedentary behaviours) impact their health. In particular, Carol is interested in how technologies such as wearables, online social networking, mobile phone apps and gamification can be used to improve lifestyle in a fun engaging way, and how these interventions can be delivered at scale to positively impact Australia's health. 

Carol has received over $4.5 million in research funding, has published 140 journal articles, and is Section Editor for BMC Public Health. 

• NHMRC Career Development Fellow
• Director of Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA)
• School of Health Sciences and Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia

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A/Professor Zohra Lassi

Zohra is a trained epidemiologist recognised internationally for her work identifying interventions for improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition in disadvantaged settings by advancing knowledge in public health practice and translation into global health policies and guidelines. She has published 200+ peer-reviewed papers, an author of 11 book chapters and several research/technical reports. Her research has contributed significantly to global maternal and newborn policies, particularly, her work with community health workers and outreach services has contributed significantly to global integrated maternal and newborn outreach guidelines. Her work with the WHO and PMNCH in developing consensus-based essential interventions for women, children, and adolescents is the dominant set of agreed interventions guiding global policy.

• NHMRC Emerging Leader-2 Fellow, Robinson Research Institute, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide

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Past convenors

HDA acknowledges past convenors who were instrumental in HDA’s inception and ongoing success.

• Professor Caroline McMillen (2004-2011)
• Professor Robert Norman (2004-2013)
• Professor Michael Sawyer (2006-2018)
• A/Professor Pammi Raghavendra (2019-2021)
• Dr Anna Kontos (2021-2022)

Anne Jurisevic has worked at the University of Adelaide in research assistant/officer roles since graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1992. In 2004, Anne commenced her role with Healthy Development Adelaide and now manages the event program, memberships, partnerships, scholars program, travel grant program, newsletter and website.

Email: anne.jurisevic@adelaide.edu.au

• Professor Claire Roberts (Chair) HDA Co-Convenor - College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University
   
• Professor Carol Maher HDA Co-Convenor - Professor of Population and Digital Health, Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia

• A/Professor Zohra Lassi HDA Co-Convenor - Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide 

• Professor Janna Morrison - Head, Early Origins of Adult Health Research, University of South Australia
   
• Professor Alice Rumbold - Co-Lead, Women and Kids, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)
   
• Mr Samuel Luddy - Director, Data Insights, System Performance Division, Department for Education
   
• Professor David MacIntyre - Director, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide
   
• Mr Greg Ward - Chief Executive, Novita / Executive Director, Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation
   
• Ms Rebecca Graham - Chief Executive Officer, Women's and Children's Health Network

• Mr Henry Pharo - Director, Early Intervention Research Directorate, Department of Human Services

• Ms Shirley Smith - Executive Director, Strategy, Partnerships and Reform, Department for Child Protection

• Ms Mel Bradley - Executive Director, Population Health, Preventive Health SA

• Dr Chelsea Mauch - Research Program Manager, Women's & Children's Hospital Foundation

The Executive Committee oversees the assessment of all our Grants, Awards and Scholarships. 

Professor Claire Roberts (Chair), Flinders University

A/Professor Carol Maher, University of South Australia

Dr Zohra Lassi, University of Adelaide

Professor Janna Morrison, University of South Australia

A/Professor Kathy Gatford, University of Adelaide

Professor Jo Arciuli, Flinders University

Mike Smithson

Mike Smithson is one of the most experienced reporters and presenters in the Seven Network, having worked as a television journalist and newsreader for 43 years.

He was awarded the prestigious Journalist of the Year in South Australia plus numerous other awards for his work on television and in newspapers for his political commentary and critique, where he’s influenced public opinion.

For 25 years Mike was the senior political reporter in Adelaide having covered many changes of government. During his long journalistic career, he’s also interviewed every Prime Minister: from Gough Whitlam to Scott Morrison – 10 in all.

Mike is currently Chief Reporter and news presenter. He is a regular political commentator on FIVEaa and ABC Radio. He’s a board member of the Channel 7 Children’s Research foundation and is married to Fiona with two children and one grandchild.

• Chief Reporter and News Presenter, 7NEWS Adelaide
• Political Commentator, FIVEaa and ABC Radio
• Board Member, Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation

Rachael Yates

Rachael Yates is the Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Women’s and Children’s Health Network (WCHN). Rachael is the professional lead for nursing and midwifery across WCHN.

Rachael is both a Registered Nurse and Midwife who has held senior leadership and management positions in regional and metropolitan public health services as well as in the Department of Health and Wellbeing. Rachael has had significant experience in change management and in collaborative design and development of health service delivery models, including influencing future strategic and operational opportunity for the networks and the nursing and midwifery workforce.

Rachael is committed to partnering with all stakeholders for quality improvement where the consumer is first and always at the centre of all decision making. Rachael has established networking platforms for connection, communication and collaboration across SA Health.

Rachael is committed to positively contributing to improving the health and wellbeing of all infants, children and young people so that they can reach their full potential and is privileged to be an Ambassador for Healthy Development Adelaide.

• Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Women’s and Children’s Health Network

Dr Natasha Schranz

Dr Natasha (Tasha) Schranz is the Director Engagement and Wellbeing within the Support and Inclusion Division at the Department for Education. 

After completing her PhD, Tasha co-founded and led the national Active Healthy Kids Australia (AHKA) collaboration for five years. Tasha was also a member of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Executive Committee as the Oceania representative during this time. 

Tasha then moved on to work at the Heart Foundation, where she worked closely with the cardiovascular research community in SA and developed a community-based pilot program to increase the awareness of the risk factors for heart disease in regional communities. 

Tasha joined the South Australian public sector during 2020 as Preventive Health SA’s (formerly Wellbeing SA) Principal Physical Activity Officer and led their physical activity agenda. Tasha also held the roles Manager Early Years, Children and Young People, Manager Mental Health Programs and Acting Executive Director Population Health.

Tasha is passionate now in her current role to work in partnership with South Australian schools and preschools to support delivery of the departments Strategy for Public Education with a particular focus on improved engagement and wellbeing outcomes, with the north star of all children and students learning and thriving.

• Director Engagement and Wellbeing, Support and Inclusion Division, Department for Education
• Former HDA Scholar (awarded a top-up PhD scholarship in our 2009 second cohort)

Julie Jensen

Julie Jensen is a Senior Manager leading three multidisciplinary teams supporting children and young people in care with disability and developmental delay in Disability and Development Services within the Department for Child Protection (DCP).

Julie worked as a speech pathologist across various sectors including disability, health, and education before becoming an allied health services manager. Her service development achievements include setting up the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention in South Australia, and setting up therapeutic programs to reduce the impacts of developmental trauma within the DCP.

• Senior Manager, Disability and Development Services in the Strategy, Partnerships and Reform Directorate at the Department for Child Protection

Associate Professor Alwin Chong

Alwin Chong is a Director of Arney Chong Consulting.

Alwin is a Wakamin man from Far North Queensland. He has over 35 years of research experience in various roles as Associate Professor at the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP), Director for Positive Futures Research Collaboration, Acting Director of Yaitya Purruna Indigenous Health Unit (YPIHU), and Senior Research and Ethics Officer for the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia. He is also a member of the NHMRC Australian Health Ethics Committee.

Alwin's areas of expertise closely align with his commitment to Indigenous health and child protection. These areas include alternative strategies for Aboriginal child protection, conducting research that tackles large societal issues such as smoking and gambling in Indigenous communities, and the perception around Fatherhood for young Indigenous men.

• Director, Arney Chong Consulting

Brad Morgan

Brad Morgan is the Director of Emerging Minds, a national non-profit organisation based in Adelaide that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Australian infants, children, young people and their families.

Brad leads the Emerging Minds team in undertaking community, workforce, and systems change strategies to improve mental health and development outcomes for infants, children, and young people. His work covers a wide range of areas, including workforce development, digital health, trauma and development, family mental health, disasters and climate change, health promotion, and health policy.

Brad has a diverse professional background that spans occupational therapy, public health, child development, and mental health promotion, prevention, and early intervention. He has previously worked on workforce development and served as the Director of the COPMI (Children of Parents with a Mental Illness) national initiative. Brad has also held roles in Country Health SA.

Brad is honoured to be an Ambassador for Healthy Development Adelaide and support the work to understand better how we can collectively support health, wellbeing and development.

• Director, Emerging Minds

The HDA scholars program offers unique research training opportunities including networking, mentorship and translational research practicum placements to enhance and broaden career development. 

The program awards PhD scholarships on the basis of individual merit and the multidisciplinary nature of a project. Scholarship top-ups for up to three years per scholar are funded by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation.

For a list of past scholars, visit Alumni.

Current HDA scholars:

2024 - 2027

Lisa Callahan 

Health professionals, resource use and the detection of otitis media in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

• College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University
• Primary supervisor: A/Professor Jacqueline Stephens

Yohannes Efa

The impact of lifestyle factors on mental health outcomes of adolescence

• Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia
• Primary supervisor: Dr Ming Li

2023 - 2026

Zahra Ali Padhani

Preconception health interventions and risk factors among adolescents and young adults and its impact on maternal, perinatal, and child health

• Adelaide Medical School, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide
• Primary supervisor: A/Professor Zohra Lassi

Jamal Giri

Development of dental occlusion and facial profiles of monozygotic and dizygotic Australian twins, from the primary to the permanent dentition

• Adelaide Dental School, Craniofacial Biology Research Group, University of Adelaide
• Primary supervisor: Professor Toby Hughes

2022 - 2025

Demi Georgiou

Elucidating the biological importance of Pregnancy Zone Protein

• Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University
• Primary supervisor: Dr Amy Wyatt

Joshua Robinson

Assessing and treating the impacts of maternal asthma on newborn lung function

• Adelaide Medical School, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide
• Primary supervisor: A/Prof Michael Stark

Sarah Hammond

Using MRI to understand the impact of fetal growth restriction on brain development

• Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia
• Primary supervisor: Prof Janna Morrison

2021 - 2024

Jessica Judd

Mental health and related service and support use among children experiencing different adversities

• BetterStart Child Health and Development Research Group, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide.
• Primary supervisor: Dr Catherine Chittleborough

Carl Campugan

Utilising light and sound in Assisted Reproductive Technologies

• Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide and Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham. 
• Primary supervisor: Dr Kylie Dunning

Past convenors

A/Professor Pammi Raghavendra: 2019-2021
Disability and Community Inclusion, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University.

Professor Michael Sawyer OAM: 2006-2018
Head of the Research and Evaluation Unit, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Health Network. Professor in the Discipline of Paediatrics at the University of Adelaide. Honorary Medical Advisor for Australian Rotary Health.

Professor Robert Norman: 2004-2013
Chair as Professor for Reproductive and Periconceptual Medicine at the University of Adelaide, and is a sub-specialist in reproductive medicine (CREI) and in endocrine biochemistry (FRCPA). Former medical director and reproductive medicine specialist at Fertility SA.

Professor Caroline McMillen: 2004-2011
South Australian Chief Scientist in October 2018.

Past PhD scholars

Leigh Guerin: 2006-2008
Role of maternal T regulatory cells in healthy pregnancy undertaken within the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide and School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, University of South Australia.

Siew Lim: 2006-2008
Effects of metformin or lifestyle intervention on weight, metabolic, reproductive and psychosocial outcomes in young women undertaken at CSIRO Human Nutrition and the Research Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide.

Anne Raimondo: 2006-2008
Single-Minded protein 1 (Sim 1), a transcription factor thought to possess roles in early neural development and linked to early onset obesity undertaken within the Discipline of Biochemistry and Discipline of Genetics, University of Adelaide.

Lisa Akison: 2009-2011
Molecular mechanisms regulating ovulation undertaken within the Robinson Research Institute and School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Adelaide.

Zhi Yi Ong: 2009-2011
Determining whether being exposed to maternal junk food diet during fetal life leads to altered development of the central reward pathway undertaken within the Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group, University of South Australia.

Luca Prisciandaro: 2009-2011
Identifying probiotics that can provide beneficial therapy for chemotherapy-induced mucositis undertaken within the Discipline of Animal Science, University of Adelaide, the Department of Gastroenterology, Women’s and Children’s Hospital, SARDI and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Natasha Schranz: 2009-2011
Running a resistance training intervention for overweight and obese adolescent males undertaken within the School of Health Sciences and the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, University of South Australia.

Dorota Zarnowiecki: 2009-2011
Exploring resilience in relation to dietary behaviours among children from neighbourhoods of low socioeconomic position undertaken within the School of Health Sciences and Nutritional Physiology Research Centre, University of South Australia.

Georgie Crichton: 2009-2011
Investigating the effects of low fat dairy consumption on cognitive functioning, psychological wellbeing, and cardiometabolic health undertaken within the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre and the School of Psychology, University of South Australia.

Sam Buckberry: 2012-2015
The transcriptional landscape of the human placenta and gene expression differences between the sexes undertaken within the Robinson Research Institute, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Molecular Biosciences, University of Adelaide.

Angela Gialamas: 2011-2014
Does the type, quality and time spent in non-parental child care influence children’s cognitive and social-emotional development? was undertaken within the Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, the Women’s and Children’s Health Network and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Jessica Gugusheff: 2011-2014
The early origins of a preference for fat: the importance of endogenous opioids undertaken within the Foodplus Research Centre, University of Adelaide.

Stefania Velardo: 2011-2014
Understanding preadolescent nutrition literacy in low socioeconomic communities undertaken within the School of Education and School of Social Health Sciences, Flinders University.

Mini Vithayathil: 2011-2014
The early origins of obesity: the importance of prenatal vs postnatal environment undertaken within the Foodplus Research Centre, University of Adelaide.

Amy Wooldridge: 2014-2015
Impact of placental restriction on adolescent immune function in sheep within the Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide.

Naomi Fink: 2014-2016
Examination of the mechanisms by which supplemental DHA exerts an immunomodulatory effect in the preterm infant within the Foodplus Research Centre, Discipline of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide.

Olivia Octoman: 2014-2016
Cumulative harm: the outcomes, risks and protective factors on chronic maltreatment within the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.

Lucy Farrell: 2014-2016
Social acceptability of childhood obesity prevention through law: an investigation of public attitudes and their social contexts within the Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide.

Bing Wang: 2014-2016                           
Cost of illness study of invasive meningococcal disease in Australian children and young adults within the Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide.

Victoria Branson: 2016-2018
Designing, evaluating, and utilising a holistic measure of adolescent stress, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide.

Verity Booth: 2016-2018
Databases of physical activity in Australian children: an audit, an online repository, and recommendations on survey instruments, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia.

Jago Van Dam: 2017-2019
Effects of pro-inflammatory conditions of pregnancy on cortical physiology and neuroendocrine function in children and adolescents, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide.

Joyce Haddad: 2017-2019
Can the Dietary Guideline Index for children and adolescence be used as an effective monitoring and feedback intervention?, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University.

Rosa Virgara: 2018-2020
Physical activity, screen time and wellbeing in Out of School Hours Services: how can we provide better programs for Australian children?, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia.

Fan Jia: 2018-2020
Application of a new vaccine technology to protect children against multiple diseases painlessly and economically, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia.

Shabnam Kashef: 2019-2021
The relative impact of four public health nutrition strategies to increase vegetable intake of children’s attending long day care, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University.

Nghi Pham: 2019-2021
Development of an integrated lab-on-chip device for the isolation and analysis of circulating fetal trophoblastic cells towards detecting pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy, Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia.

Leanne Winner: 2020-2023
Identification and validation of non-invasively sourced biomarkers of central nervous system disease in childhood-onset dementia, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University.

Susan Smith: 2020-2023
An exploration of vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy and parenting, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University.