Discipline Areas

Our membership spans a wide range of research disciplines.

The following senior and early career researchers and PhD students are collectively dedicated to bringing together multidisciplinary aspects of research related to investigation and improvement in developmental health from embryo to infant, child and youth health.

  • Allied Health

    • Prof Joanne Arciuli (child development and disability)
    • Dr Chris Brebner (speech pathology: language, early language development, assessment, bilingualism)
    • Prof Mary Butler (occupational therapy)
    • Lucy Farrar (speech pathology, paediatric learning and language disabilities) [PhD Student]
    • Dr Weifeng Han (speech pathology, language development and disorder, bilingualism, indigenous and immigrant child)
    • Eliza Huppatz (occupational therapy, health inequities)
    • Associate Professor Belinda Lange (physiotherapy, digital health, mental health, game-based rehabilitation)
    • Dr Mallika Senthil (ophthalmology, ocular diseases; quality of life; patient-reported outcome measure; genetics; artificial intelligence)
    • Miss Tara Shem (speech pathology, early education and care, service delivery) [PhD student]
    • Dr Michelle Swift (speech pathology, stuttering) 
    • Dr Abirami Thirumanickam (speech pathology: autism spectrum disorders, complex communication needs, vide based interventions)
  • Biochemistry

    Biochemistry is the chemistry of living organisms and their vital processes.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Demi Georgiou (pregnancy zone protein, protein misfolding, inflammation, pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Penelope Main (nutrigenomics: autism, cytogenetics, nutrition, biomedical, behavioural)
    • Dr Dan Peet (oxygen sensing, hypoxia, gene regulation, peptidyl hydroxylases)
    • Dr Georgina Sylvia (biophotonics, sensor technology, biomedical research)
    • Dr Noralyn Manucat-Tan (cell biology, protein misfolding in pregancy)
    • Professor Murray Whitelaw (gene function, transcription factors)
    • Dr Amy Wyatt (cell biology, protein misfolding, inflammation, pregnancy, preeclampsia, neurodegeneration)
  • Biomedical Engineering

    Biomedical engineering is concerned with the development and manufacture of medical devices, diagnostic devices, drugs and other therapies. It may be defined as the application of engineering principles and techniques to the medical field.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

  • Demographics

    Demography is broadly a branch of sociology that studies various characteristics of human populations.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Dr Tyson Whitten (Developmental and Life-course criminology, Longitudinal research; criminal career durations; epidemiology)
  • Dentistry

    Dentistry is the branch of medicine dealing with the anatomy and development and diseases of the teeth.

    Members below also look at the social and population aspects of dental health.

    • Associate Professor Loc Do (oral epidemiology, determinants of child oral health, oral health inequality, risk and benefit trade-off of fluoride use)
    • Dr Dandara Haag (child development, aboriginal health, oral health, parenting investments)
    • Professor Toby Hughes (oral health, early life factors)
    • Professor Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
    • Ms Brianna Poirier (indigenous oral health, nutriton education, sugar consumption and marketing, childhood dental caries) [PhD student]
    • Mr Pedro Santiago (psychometrics, aboriginal children, dental care, cross-cultural comparison) [PhD student]
    • Dr Helena Schuch (public health, oral health, social epidemiology, life course, social determinants, socioeconomic position) [PhD student]
    • Dr Gustavo Soares (indigenous children oral health, wellbeing, health outcomes)
    • Professor John Spencer (cohort studies, oral health, intervention studies, community influence)
  • Disability

  • Economics

    In simple terms, economics is the study of the trade-offs involved when choosing between alternate sets of decisions. Health economics is concerned with the formal comparison of costs and consequences of health care.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Dr Bing Wang (meningococcal disease, cost of illness, clinical and economic burden)
  • Education

    Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, and also something less tangible but more profound: the imparting of knowledge, positive judgment and well-developed wisdom.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Mrs Gunay Aghayeva (early childhood: refugee, preschooler, afghan, literacy) [PhD student]
    • Ms Kylie Dankiw (nature play, early childhood, parenting, educators) [PhD student]
    • Miss Kristy Davis (secondary education, teacher and learner identities, future education models) [PhD student]
    • Professor Murray Drummond (health promotion, qualitative, men's health and masculinities, boys' health, body image, social determinants)
    • Ms Allyson Dutschke (vocational and education training, student success, study or employment pathways) [PhD student]
    • Rachel Lever (children's problematic sexual behaviour) [PhD student]
    • Mrs Lynne Loh (Vision impairment, Children, Education, Rehabilitation)
    • Dr Belinda MacGill (arts education, children living in poverty)
    • Ms Judith Merritt (teacher guidance, student self-regilation in classrooms) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Sue Nichols (early literacy, family literacy, parent engagement, oral language development, inclusive education)
    • Narelle Robertson (children, digital networks, learning difficulty, disability) [PhD student]
    • Mr Peter Walker (special education: inclusion, equity, curriculum, behaviour, communication)
    • Dr Shirley Yates (quantitive, children's psychosocial development, learning environments, mathematics education)
  • Endocrinology

    Endocrinology is the study of the structure and functions of the endocrine glands and the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the endocrine system.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Professor Peter Clifton (obesity, heart disease, lipids, nutrition)
    • Professor Jenny Couper (diabetes - endothelial dysfunction, preclinical diabetes, type 1 diabetes)
    • Dr Kathryn Gatford (fetal growth, programming, growth hormone, insulin)
    • Dr Oana Maftei (type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents, vascular health)
    • Dr Lisa Nicholas (pancreatic islet biology, Type 2 diabetes, maternal obesity)
    • Stephanie O'Hara (maternal obesity, type 2 diabetes, offspring risk, epigenetics) [PhD Student]
    • Professor Julie Owens (early origins of adult diabetes and obesity, placental and neonatal growth and metabolism, insulin like growth factors)
    • Associate Professor Jeff Schwartz (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, cardiovascular and renal system, fetal programming)
    • Professor Gary Wittert (obesity, appetite, androgens, aging, diabetes)
  • Epidemiology

    Epidemiology is a discipline studying the incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Dr Anna Ali (oral health, reproductive health, cardiology, biostatistics)
    • Mrs Verity Booth (children's physcial activity, trends, physical education) [PhD student]
    • Professor Sally Brinkman (child development, monitoring, evaluation, measurement-development, international-comparison)
    • Dr Catherine Chittleborough (early child development, prediction models, health inequalities, life course)
    • Professor Michael Davies (fetal programming, social epidemiology)
    • Associate Professor James Dollman (children's physical activity, body composition, fitness)
    • Dr Bereket Duko (early child development, pregnancy, maternal health, addictive behaviours, prediction models, data linkage)
    • Dr Renae Fernandez (reproductive health, fertility, environmental exposures) [PhD student]
    • Dr Angela Gialamas (early child health and development, social and health inequalities, life course epidemiology)
    • A/Prof Natasha Howard (Social Determinants of Health; cardiometabolic disease; health inequities; monitoring and surveillance systems; public health advocacy, implementation science, Aboriginal health)
    • Associate Professor Lynne Giles (childhood growth, social relationships, healthy ageing)
    • Professor Elina Hypponen (nutrition, genetics, cohort studies, life-course, vitamin D)
    • Professor Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
    • Dr Ming Li (overweight and obesity, diabetes, metabolic disorders, maternal and children's health, biological pathway of health behaviours)
    • Professor John Lynch (population health, evidence-based public health, early life interventions)
    • Ms Alicia Montgomerie (data linkage: children - birth to adolescence, early life exposures, health and development outcomes) [PhD student]
    • Professor Vivienne Moore (women's health, child growth and development)
    • Professor Tim Olds (physical activity, obesity, time use, anthropometry, fitness)
    • Dr Sophie Pointer (injury epidemiology, indigenous injury, child injury, patient safety, injury prevention and policy)
    • Alexandra Procter (Social determinants of Health, children, welfare)
    • Dr Kate Ridley (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, youth)
    • A/Professor Alice Rumbold (reproductive and perinatal: infertility risk factors, perinatal outcomes, models of maternal care, disadvantaged women)
    • Dr Amy Salter (biostatistics, randomised controlled trials, survival analysis, injecting drug users, registry data, public health)
    • Dr Helena Schuch (public health, oral health, social epidemiology, life course, social determinants, socioeconomic position) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Lisa Smithers (fatty acids, development, vision, infants, clinical trials)
    • Associate Professor Charlene Thornton (midwifery, birth, pregnancy, maternal health, benchmarking, data linkage)
    • Ms Jane Tuckerman (infectious diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, paediatrics, linked data, health policy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Tyson Whitten (Developmental and Life-course criminology, Longitudinal research; criminal career durations; epidemiology)
  • Genetics

    Genetics is the study of the genetic composition, heredity, and variation of organisms. HDA members have expertise in clinical and research genetics using animal models and human data.

  • Immunology

    Immunology is the study of all aspects of the immune system including its structure and function, disorders of the immune system, blood banking, immunisation and organ transplantation.

    • Ms Elena Cavallaro (acute lung injury: innate immunology, leukocyte phenotype, bronchiolitis) [PhD student]
    • Dr Loretta Chin (reproductive immunology: preterm birth, pregnancy, female reproduction)
    • Associate Professor Adrian Cummins (small intestine: postnatal growth, Wnt signalling, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, mucosal immunology)
    • Associate Professor Dani-Louise Dixon (leukocyte chemotaxis, acute lung injury, pulmonary remodelling, RSV bronchiolitis)
    • Mrs Zenab Dudhwala (small intestine, crypt fission, Wnt-beta-catenin signalling, postantal growth, short bowel syndrome and intestinal stem cells) [PhD student]
    • Ms Holly Groome (fetal growth, macrophages, pregnancy, placentation, preeclampsia, vacularisation) [PhD student]
    • Dr Claire Jessup (pancreatic islet transplantation, vascular biology, allorejection, beta cell function, apoptosis, gene therapy)
    • Dr James McEvoy-May (fetal lung development, ionising radiation, respiratory, immunology)
    • Mrs Samantha Watson (cancer therapeutics, therapeutic vaccination) [PhD student]
  • Indigenous Health

    HDA members aim to undertake research relating to the overall health and wellbeing status of Indigenous people.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Associate Professor Kristin Carson-Chahhoud (tobacco, respiratory, clinical, translational)
    • Dr Dandara Haag (child development, Aboriginal health, oral health, parenting investments)
    • A/Prof Natasha Howard (Social Determinants of Health; cardiometabolic disease; health inequities; monitoring and surveillance systems; public health advocacy, implementation science, Aboriginal health)
    • Professor Lisa Jamieson (indigenous adolescents, prospective cohort design, lifecourse methodology, dental disease experience, social and behavioural research)
    • Ms Justyna Pollok (mental health, Aboriginal health, tobacco abuse: health promotion, depression, chronic disease prevention, treatment evaluation, health professional training) [PhD student]
    • Miss Megan Rebuli (public health nutrition, diet, child development) [PhD student]
    • Mr Pedro Santiago (psychometrics, Aboriginal children, dental care, cross-cultural comparison) [PhD student]
    • Dr Susan Semple (indigenous traditional medicine, complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, traditional knowledge)
  • Law

    In general terms law is a rule or body of rules for conduct that are essential to or binding upon human society.

    HDA members involved in different forms of law impacting on healthy development include:

  • Molecular Biology

  • Nutrition

    Nutrition can be broadly defined as the study of what people eat and the effects of food on health.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Associate Professor Paul Anderson (nutrition, skeletal development, vitamin D metabolism, calcium, osteoporosis)
    • Christopher Bailey (health eating, food literacy, adolescence) [PhD Student]
    • Dr Lucy Bell (infant and toddler nutrition, childhood nutrition, early feeding, dietary patterns, childhood obesity)
    • Associate Professor Jane Bowen (children's nutrition and wellbeing, healthy weight)
    • Professor Grant Brinkworth (obesity, weight control, lifestyle disease, cardiovascular health, reproductive function)
    • Dr Caroline Bull (nutrigenomics, telomeres, DNA damage, nutrition, psychological stress, preventative health)
    • Professor Peter Clifton (obesity, heart disease, lipids, nutrition)
    • Associate Professor Alison Coates (omega-3 fatty acids, inflammation, obesity, metabolic syndrome, bioactive nutrients, cardiovascular health)
    • Professor Lynne Cobiac (nutritional intakes and prevention of disease)
    • Dr Kacie Dickinson (diet and chronic disease: nutrition, salt, cardiovascular, prevention)
    • Miss Chloe Douglas (microbiome, DHA supplementation, breast feeding, immunology/allergy) [PhD student]
    • Professor Robert Gibson (dietary fats, omega 3 fatty acids, preterm infants, term infants)
    • Associate Professor Rebecca Golley (food parenting, dietary assessment, nutrition promotion, obesity, diet quality)
    • Professor Tim Green (maternal and infant nutrition, micronutrients, nutritional assessment, breastfeeding)
    • Dr Jessica Grieger (diet, pregnancy, infant health, maternal health, poor food choices in children)
    • Ms Nahal Habibi (type 1 and 2 diabetes, dietary patterns, nutrient bioavailability, early life) [PhD student]
    • Professor Gordon Howarth (probiotics, prebiotics, bioactive extracts, gastrointestinal health and disease, animal models)
    • Professor Peter Howe (omega-3, phytoestrogens, polyphenols, endothelial function, blood pressure)
    • Dao Huynh (micronutrients for pregnancy, lactation and infancy, iodine) [PhD student]
    • Dr Brittany Johnson (childhood nutrition, parents, obesity prevention, diet quality, unhealthy foods, behaviour change) 
    • Ms Shabnam Kashef (nutrition, vegetable intake, nutrition strategies, long day care)
    • Mrs Foorough Kavian (infant nutrition, early feeding practices, dietary intake, food consumption, infant growth)
    • Ms Gabriela Leghi (human breast milk composition, nutritional programming, macronutrients, hormones) [PhD student]
    • Dr Penelope Main (nutrigenomics: autism, cytogenetics, nutrition, biomedical, behavioural) [PhD student]
    • Professor Maria Makrides (dietary fatty acids, iron, growth, development, randomised control trials)
    • Ms Lenka Malek (maternal and infant nutrition, dietary supplements, pregnancy, consumer behaviour) [PhD student]
    • Alexandra Manson (childhood nutrition, primary schools, nutrition) [PhD student]
    • Dr Louisa Matwiejczyk (early childhood nutrition and policy) 
    • Ms Georgia Middleton (family nutrition, family meals, family health, childhood nutrition, dietary patterns) [PhD student]
    • Dr Carly Moores (food and oral health)
    • Miss Najma Moumin (infant and child, nutritional assessments, micronutrient deficiencies) [PhD Student]
    • Associate Professor Beverly Muhlhausler (programming, obesity, appetite, energy balance, maternal nutrition)
    • Dr Karen Murphy (nutrition, dairy, omega-3, cardiovascular disease)
    • Dr Merryn Netting (paediatric: food allergy prevention, diagnosis and management, general nutrition, feeding disorders)
    • Dr Nathan O'Callaghan (nutritional genomics, DNA damage, telomere biology, genome health)
    • Miss Megan Rebuli (public health, indigenous health, diet, child development) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Lisa Smithers (fatty acids, development, vision, infants, clinical trials)
    • Dr Rebecca Thomson (lifestyle modification, body composition, muscle strength, cardiovascular health, reproductive function)
    • Dr Cuong Tran (zinc nutrition, gastrointestinal infections and disorders, coeliac disease, helicobacter pylori, metallothionein)
    • Dr Stefania Velardo (health literacy, children's nutrition literacy)
    • Dr Molla Wassie (early life iodine nutrition and growth and development)
    • Ms Nina Wilson (maternal nutrition, pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids) [PhD student]
    • Dr Dorota Zarnowiecki (behavioural nutrition and health promotion: childhood nutrition and pregnancy)
    • Dr Jo Zhou (maternal and early childhood nutrition, micronutrient deficiency, pregnancy, infancy)
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Reproductive Health)

    Obstetrics and gynaecology is the science and clinical practice of human reproductive health.

    Members specialising in this research area have various sub-specialities within this discipline and are listed below:

    • Dr Natalie Aboustate (immunology - preterm, neonatal, innate immunity)
    • Dr Damian Adams (reproductive technology - donor conception, child welfare, fetal origins of adult disease)
    • Ms Emily Aldridge (pregnancy complications, premature cardiovascular disease, preeclampsia) [PhD student]
    • Dr Prabha Andraweera (obstetrics, pregnancy complications, genetics, vascular disease, metabolic syndrome)
    • Dr Anya Arthurs (pregnancy complications, RNAs, stillbirth, preeclampsia)
    • Dr Jodie Avery (women's health: polycystic ovary syndrome, incontinence, quality of life, obesity, pregnancy, postpartum period)
    • Ms Rafiatu Azumah (PCOS) [PhD Student]
    • Ms Naomi Baum (nee Guiver) (child health: pregnancy, maltreatment, risk, prevention, service delivery) [PhD student]
    • Mrs Meg Bater (infant and child development, preterm birth, parents, developmental literacy, neurodevelopmental outcomes) [PhD student]
    • Ms Naomi Baum (nee Guiver) (child health: pregnancy, maltreatment, risk, prevention, service delivery) [PhD student]
    • Dr Tina Bianco-Miotto (early origins of disease, epigenetic programming, cancer, fetal and placenta development)
    • Ms Amber Bidner (antenatal ultrasound, rural remote health)
    • Ms Macarena Bermudez Gonzalez (ovarian and follicular biology, diet nutraceuticals, oocyte ER-stress) [PhD student]
    • Mr Konstantinos Bogias (bioinformatics, placenta, genomics, multi-omics) [PhD student]
    • Ms Anneka Bowman (antenatal health care: stillbirth risk, perinatal care, obstetrics, lifestyle risk) [PhD student]
    • Mr Carl Campugan (ovarian follicle development, biophotonics) [PhD student]
    • Dr Alison Care (vascular physiology, reproductive immunology, placental development, pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction)
    • Ms Patience Castleton (male infertility, semen function, sperm, diagnostic tool) [Phd student]
    • Mr Hon Yeung (Dexter) Chan (immunology, seminal fluid, miRNA, immune tolerance, pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Loretta Chin (reproductive immunology: preterm birth, pregnancy, female reproduction)
    • Mr Darren Chow (early embryo development) [PhD student]
    • Dr Sarah Cox (child protection, complex trauma, early intervention and prevention, social policy, system reform)
    • Ms Tara Crawford (preterm birth, preterm neonates, transfusion and immunology) [PhD student]
    • Miss Fiona Crawford-Williams (women's health: alcohol, health promotion, pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Jack Darby (fetal programming, cardiovascular disease, cardiomyocytes, low birthweight) 
    • A/Professor Dasvarma (population studies, women's and reproductive health, child mortality, fertility and family planning) 
    • Professor Gus Dekker (immunology and genetics of pre-eclampsia, prediction and prevention of adverse pregnancy outcome, maternal fetal medicine)
    • Dr Kylie Dunning (oocyte biology, oocyte developmental competence, lipid metabolism)
    • Miss Hannah Edwards (mother-infant bonding, oxytocin, syntocinon) [PhD student]
    • Ms Renae Fernandez (epidemiology, fertility, environmental exposures) [PhD student]
    • Dr Kerrie Foyle (pregnancy, miscarriage, pregnancy complications)
    • Anna Fragkoudi (reproductive health care, family planning, multiple sclerosis) [PhD student]
    • Dr Andrea Gordon (pregnancy substance abuse, neonatal abstinence syndrome, methadone, buprenophine)
    • A/Prof Kathryn Gatford (fetal growth, programming, growth hormone, insulin)
    • Dr Ella Green (reproduction, immunology, immune response to pregnancy, Treg cells)
    • Dr Jessica Grieger (diet, pregnancy, infant health, maternal health, poor food choices in children)
    • A/Prof Luke Grzeskowiak (pharmacoepidemiology, obstetrics and neonatal, women’s health, quality use of medicines)
    • Professor John Hayball (immunology and cell biology, immune tolerance, T cell immunity, antigen processing)
    • Dr Erandi Hewawasam (preterm babies, DHA, child development, metabolism, inflammatory markers)
    • Dr Nicolette Hodyl (fetal growth and development, neonatal immunology, placental function, pregnancy)
    • Dr Amy Holmes (maternal health)
    • Associate Professor Louise Hull (infertility, endometriosis, IVF, implantation, miscarriage)
    • Dr Katja Hummitzsch (ovarian development, PCOS)
    • Dao Huynh (micronutrients for pregnancy, lactation and infancy, iodine) [PhD student]
    • Dr Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulos (pregnancy health, molecular processes, placental development, pregnancy complications)
    • Minnu Jayapal (infertility, contraception) [PhD Student]
    • Ms Sophie Kedzior (adolescent sexual and reproductive health, socioecological influences, access to education and services, preconception health) [PhD student]
    • A/Prof Amy Keir (perinatal quality improvement, preterm birth)
    • Dr Karen Kind (embryonic environment, fetus, placenta)
    • A/Prof Zohra Lassi (maternal and child health: health care seeking, mothers, babies, developing countries, community based interventions)
    • Dr Megan Lim (early reproduction, oocyte, maturation)
    • Professor Alastair MacLennan (cerebral palsy causation)
    • A/Professor Philippa Middleton (perinatal epidemiology, preterm birth, nutrition, stillbirth, diabetes in pregnancy)
    • Associate Professor Lisa Moran (polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, nutrition, insulin resistance, reproductive health)
    • Professor Robert Norman (in vitro fertilisation, polycystic ovarian syndrome, reproduction)
    • Celine Northcott (omega 3 fatty acids, prematurity, pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Mark Nottle (female reproductive physiology, embryo culture, stem cells)
    • Ms Kate Obst (pregnancy and families, pregnancy loss) [PhD student]
    • Dr Michael O'Callaghan (cerebral palsy, genetics, genomics, epidemiology)
    • Miss Kavita Panir (endometriosis, macrophage activation, microRNA) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Nayana Parange (fetal echocardiography in high-risk pregnancies)
    • Miss Maleesa Pathirana (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, metabolic disease, women, children) [PhD student]
    • Miss Michelle Plummer (pregnancy and birth, cardiovascular disease) [PhD student]
    • Professor Claire Roberts (pregnancy, placenta, intra-uterine growth, fetus, cell invasion)
    • Professor Sarah Robertson (immunology, early pregnancy, embryo and placental development, cytokines)
    • Mr Joshua Robinson (maternal asthma, neonatal outcomes, newborns, lung function, data linkage) [PhD Student]
    • Professor Rebecca Robker (ovarian cell biology, obesity, gene expression, gene targeted mouse models, immunology)
    • Professor Ray Rodgers (ovary, follicle, extracellular matrix, signalling)
    • Ms Andrea Roff (asthma during pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Ryan Rose (oocyte secreted factors, natriuretic peptides, cAMP/cGMP, resumption of meiosis, IVM)
    • A/Prof Alice Rumbold (reproductive and perinatal: infertility risk factors, perinatal outcomes, models of maternal care, disadvantaged women)
    • Professor Darryl Russell (ovarian, oocyte and embryo development, cell signalling, tissue morphogenesis, oocyte maturation, endocrinology, reproductive cancer)
    • Dr John Schjenken (sperm, uterus, immune, miRNA, conception)
    • Ms Helana Shehadeh (male reproductive health - fertility, sperm, oxidative stress, methylation, offspring health) [PhD student]
    • Ms Emily Shepherd (maternal and perinatal health - randomised trials, systematic reviews, translational research, pregnancy complications, preterm birth) [PhD student]
    • Ms Melanie Smith (bioinformatics, miRNA regulation, genomics, maternal blood) [PhD student]
    • Ms Jia Yin Soo (fetal development, drugs in pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Michael Stark (fetal/neonatal physiology, neonate, oxidative stress, inflammation, developmental programming)
    • Ms Dian Sulistyoningrum (child and adolescent health, nutrition and dietetics) [PhD Student]
    • Miss Cheow Yuen (Tiffany) Tan (early embryo development, hyperspectral imaging, oocytes)
    • Professor Jeremy Thompson (conception, environment, embryo, development)
    • Ha Tran (pregnancy, seminal fluid antigens, immune response) [PhD student]
    • Professor Kelton Tremellen (ovarian reserve, recurrent miscarriage, male infertility, related infertility)
    • Ms Jessie Walker (preterm birth, maternal immune system, regulatory T cells) [PhD student]
    • Dr Qianhui Wan (placenta development, DNA methylation, gene expression, maternal blood)
    • Ms Nina Wilson (maternal nutrition, pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids) [PhD student]
    • Dr Yasmyn Winstanley (early embryo development, maternal obesity)
    • Ms Amelia Winter (perinatal/infant mental health, refugee/migrant health, early childhood, maternity care) [PhD student]
    • Dr Lisa Yelland (perinatal trials, biostatistics, multiple births)
    • Dr Deirdre Zander-Fox (assisted reproductive technology, pre-implantation embryo development and cryopreservation, reproductive toxicology)
  • Paediatrics

    In simple terms, paediatrics is the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury in children.

    HDA members from sub-specialties of paediatrics are listed below:

    • Miss Alex Agostini (paediatric sleep: sleep timing, growth, performance, mood, adolescence) [PhD student]
    • Professor Simon Barry (childhood autoimmune diseases, immune tolerance, regulatory T cells, micro RNAs, gene regulation and function)
    • Dr Karen Best (asthma and allergy, pregnancy, LCPUFA, clinical studies)
    • Mr Stuart Callary (orthopaedics: polyethylene wear, prosthesis migration, fracture healing, radiographic measurements) [PhD student]
    • Professor Jenny Couper (diabetes - endothelial dysfunction, preclinical diabetes, type 1 diabetes)
    • Ms Tara Crawford (preterm birth, preterm neonates, transfusion and immunology) [PhD student]
    • Dr Martin Donnelley (cystic fibrosis, gene therapy, x-ray imaging, synchrotron)
    • Professor Jozef Gecz (neurogenetics: intellectual disability, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, neurodevelopment, mutation)
    • Dr Jacqueline Gould (developmental psychology, nutrition, brain development, neurodevelopment)
    • A/Prof Luke Grzeskowiak (pharmacoepidemiology, obstetrics and neonatal, women’s health, quality use of medicines)
    • Dr Kim Hemsley (neurodegenerative disorders: lysosomal storage disorders, prognostic markers, disease pathogenesis, therapies)
    • Dr Dao Huynh (type 1 diabetes, pregnancy and lactation)
    • Mr Lachlan Wheelhouse Knight (childhood glaucoma, genetics, child psychology)
    • Dr Mark Kohler (child sleep, apnea, cognition/cognitive performance, behaviour, developmental psychology)
    • Dr Anna Kontos (sleep disordered breathing, apnea in children)
    • Professor Helen Marshall (immunisations, infectious diseases, vaccines, child health, epidemiology)
    • Ms Alexandra McCarron (cystic fibrosis, gene therapy, lung disease) [PhD student]
    • Ms Nicole Miller (outdoor learning for children) [PhD student]
    • Mr Nazzmer Nazri (neurodegeneration, lysosomal storage disorders)
    • Ms Amelia Noone (sleep disordered breathing, children, endocrine and vascular changes) [PhD Student]
    • Dr Michael O'Callaghan (cerebral palsy, genetics, genomics, epidemiology)
    • Associate Professor David Parsons (cystic fibrosis, gene therapy, lung, airway)
    • Miss Maleesa Pathirana (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, metabolic disease, women, children) [PhD student]
    • Dr Alexia Pena (type 1 diabetes, obesity, vascular health, children)
    • Ms Amanda Santamaria (cognitive neuroscience: sleep, memory, emotion, children, EEG, development) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Grant Tomkinson (paediatric exercise, anthropometry, fitness, secular trends)
    • Dr Cuong Tran (zinc nutrition, gastrointestinal infections and disorders, coeliac disease, helicobacter pylori, metallothionein)
    • Dr Margarita Tsiros (child, overweight, obese, gross motor, body mass index)
    • Ms Jane Tuckerman (infectious diseases epidemiology, vaccine preventable diseases, linked data, health policy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Sarah Wallwork (pain messaging and promoting pain education in young children)
    • Ms Bing Wang (meningococcal disease, cost of illness, clinical and economic burden) [PhD student]
    • Ms Emily Watson (sleep, diet, behaviour attention) [PhD student]
    • Professor Cory Xian (bone biology, mechanisms of bone growth, regulation of bone growth and bone mass accumulation, injury and repair - growth factors and stem cells, growth plate injury, cancer chemotherapy)
    • Mr David Xu (cancer chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis) [PhD student]
    • Dr Jo Zhou (maternal and early childhood nutrition, micronutrient deficiency, pregnancy, infancy)
  • Pharmacology

    This discipline can be explained as the study of drugs and dietary supplements and their origin, nature, properties, and effects upon living organisms.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Professor Robert Ali (substitution therapy, drug withdrawal therapy, HIV)
    • Dr Andrea Fielder (pregnancy substance abuse, neonatal abstinence syndrome, methadone, buprenophine)
    • A/Prof Luke Grzeskowiak (pharmacoepidemiology, obstetrics and neonatal, women’s health, quality use of medicines)
    • Dr Libby Hotham (substance abuse, pregnancy, ADHD, psychostimulants)
    • Dr Jacinta Johnson (chronic pain; medication overuse, headache, opiods)
    • Prof Ross Mckinnon (cancer research, drug discovery and development, pharmacogenomics, quality use of medicines)
    • Dr Sonali Meena (primary health care, drug and alcohol, child health)
    • Dr Susan Semple (indigenous traditional medicine, complementary medicine, ethnopharmacology, traditional knowledge)
    • Professor Shudong Wang (drug discovery, cancer research, drug design, medicinal chemistry)
  • Physiology

    Physiology can be broadly explained as the study of functions and processes in living things.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

  • Psychology and Psychiatry

    Psychology is the study of behaviour and mental processes and how they are affected by physical and mental state as well as external environment.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Ms Ria Aiyar (migrant and refugee wellbeing, maternal and family wellbeing, pregnancy) [PhD student]
    • Ms Asma Akther (skilled immigrants, children) [PhD student]
    • Professor Fiona Arney (child protection, resilience, crosscultural parenting, child development)
    • Ms Christina Ambrosi (child emotional development, parenting, socialisation)
    • Christopher Bailey (healthy eating, food literacy, adolescence) [PhD Student]
    • Dr Ryan Balzan (psychosis: delusions, cognitive biases, schizophrenia, psychosis continuum, psychotherapy)
    • Mrs Kate Bartel (adolescent sleep, protective/risk factors) [PhD student]
    • Mrs Dianna Bartsch (children of parents with a mental illness, parenting, dialectical behaviour therapy, borderline personality disorder) [PhD student]
    • Ms Naomi  Baum (nee Guiver) (child health: pregnancy, maltreatment, risk, prevention, service delivery) [PhD student]
    • Dr Jacquleine Beall (child protection)
    • Dr Christopher Bean (social determinants of health, adolescent mental health, organisational and health psychology, life-course epidemiology)
    • Miss Madeleine Benton (maternity care, birth, psychosocial outcomes) [PhD student]
    • Dr David Birbeck (children's body image, children's voice in research, ethics, early childhood)
    • Ms Samantha Boots (developmental psychology, child obesity, parenting, parental control) [PhD student]
    • Ms Victoria Branson (adolescent stress, psychology, wellbeing)
    • Professor Leah Bromfield (child protection systems, chronic maltreatment and cumulative harm, evidence-based policy and practice; knowledge translation and implementation)
    • Dr Stephanie Centofanti (sleep, cognitive function, mood, resilience, lifespan)
    • Dr Levina Clark (child and adolescent social development, body image, long-term consequences of environmental toxins exposure)
    • Dr Jane Cocks (stress, resilience, and positive psychology, alongside interactive technologies, media, and games to promote health and wellbeing)
    • A/Prof Sarah Cohen-Woods (psychiatric genetics and epigenetics - gene environment interactions, biological mechanisms of stress)
    • Dr Shona Crabb (qualitative, risk, health promotion, public understandings, gender, sociology)
    • Dr Ellen Davies (Needs assessment, nursing, mental health)
    • Ms Christianna Digenis (maternity care, psychosocial, health) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Jill Dorrian (sleep, circadiam rhythms, pregnancy, adolescence, shiftwork)
    • Dr Kate Fairweather-Schmidt (epidemiology of suicide and intentional self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety, depression)
    • Dr Jacqueline Gould (paediatrics, nutrition, brain development, neurodevelopment)
    • Ms Amber Halliday (positive education: wellbeing, education, adaptive functioning, prevention, resilience) [PhD student]
    • Miss Sarah Halliday (bullying, cyberbullying, adolescence)
    • Ms Isabelle Hermes (pregnancy, child protection services) [student]
    • Dr Amanda Hutchinson (psycho-oncology, cancer prevention, cognitive impairment, health promotion)
    • Dr Hannah Keage (brain, cognition, psychophysiology, development)
    • Ms Siying Li (self-love, parenting, children, adolescence) [student]
    • Miss Catia Malvaso (child protection/forensic psychology, child abuse, criminal behaviour, risk, resilience) [PhD student]
    • Mr Stewart McDougall (child protection, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental disorders) [PhD student]
    • Dr Sara Mclean (behaviour disorders, alternative care, child abuse treatment and prevention, interagency coordination)
    • Sheelah Mills (ADHD diagnosis and treatment) [PhD student]
    • Dr Amber Mosewich (sport and exercise psychology: stress, coping, emotion, self-compassion)
    • Ms Kate Obst (pregnancy and families, pregnancy loss) [PhD student]
    • Dr Olivia Octoman (child protection, child abuse and neglect, chronicity, cumulative harm)
    • A/Prof Melissa O'Donnell (child maltreatment, child abuse and neglect)
    • Ms Angela Osborn (cognitive neuroscience, child wellbeing, nature-based learning) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Gaynor Parfitt (exercise and sport psychology: psychological health and behaviour change, motivation)
    • Miss Samantha Parkinson (child protection, service development, online social media, offending behaviours, prenatal alcohol exposure)
    • Ms Victoria Parsons (child sexual abuse, primary prevention, social psychology) [PhD student]
    • Dr Silvia Pignata (adolescents and adult wellbeing, stress, sleep, resilience, digital health, work-family conflict)
    • Miss Meg Pillion (sleep psychology, adolescents, technology, intervention) [PhD Student]
    • Dr Danielle Pollock (stillbirth research, maternal health, advocacy, bereavement care)
    • A/Prof Ivanka Prichard (health behaviour: cancer prevention, lifestyle, body image, physical activity, diet)
    • Ms Chelsea Reynolds (child sleep psychology, adolecents, sleep spindles, cognition) [PhD student]
    • Ms Kate Riggall (cognitive neuroscience: developmental neurobiology, individual alpha frequency, cognitive development) [PhD student]
    • Mr David Rimmington (caregiver-infant relationships, parent and infant wellbeing) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Rachel Roberts (child clinical, neuropsychology, stressors, health, well-being, craniofacial anomalies, children)
    • Ms Rachel Samson (parent-child attachment quality and child temperament, maternal/high sensitivity) [PhD student]
    • Dr Alyssa Sawyer (early childhood development, self-regulation, school achievemnet, clinical psychology)
    • Dr Luke Schneider (preterm birth, cognitive, neurodevelopment, intellectual assessment)
    • Ms Jodie Scott (pre-conception health, health behaviour change, obesity)
    • Ms Sarah Seekamp (child protection, early childhood intervention, integrated services) [PhD student]
    • Dr Grace Skrzypiec (peer aggression, bullying, student wellbeing, research methodology; student anti-social behaviour and wellbeing; peace education)
    • Professor Phillip Slee (child and adolescent development, family, violence, wellbeing)
    • Ms Wei Song (behavioural genetics: childhood trauma, psychological disorders, DNA methylation, NT5C2) [PhD student]
    • Dr Amanda Taylor (child positive mental health, child obesity, parenting)
    • Professor Marika Tiggemann (body image, dieting, food craving, obesity, self-objectification)
    • Mr Thomas Trebilco (behavioural genetics: stress and infertility, epigenetics) [PhD student]
    • Professor Deborah Turnbull (public health and applied psychology - reproductive technology, maternity services, C-section)
    • Prof Tracey Wade (eating disorders, body image, mental health and wellbeing)
    • Ms Eleanor Watson (mental health literacy, complex communication needs) [PhD student]
    • Dr Justine Whitham (child and adolescent mental health)
    • Miss Hannah Whittall (sleep psychology, infants, graduated extinction barriers) [PhD Student]
    • Ms Angie Willcocks (perinatal mental health, diet, nutrition) [PhD student]
    • Ms Amelia Winter (perinatal/infant mental health, refugee/migrant health, early childhood, maternity care) [PhD student]
    • Miss Kathleen Wright (mindfulness, child psychology, early intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy) [PhD student]
    • Dr Lisa Wundersitz (road safety: young drivers, quad bike, graduated licensing scheme, risky driver behaviour, mass media)
    • Dr Shirley Yates (quantitative, children's psychosocial development, learning environments, mathematics education)
    • Ms Cecily Young (antenatal health promotion, resilience, positive psychology) [PhD student]

    Psychiatry is a branch of medicine concerned with the prevention, cause, and treatment of mental disorders.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Dr Ryan Balzan (psychosis: delusions, cognitive biases, schizophrenia, psychosis continuum, psychotherapy)
    • Sheelah Mills (ADHD diagnosis and treatment) [PhD student]
  • Public Health

    Public health is a multi-disciplinary field with particular strengths in public health policy, and occupational and environmental health.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    • Dr Tamara Agnew (digital health, technology, lifespan, community-focused)
    • Ms Naomi  Baum (nee Guiver) (child health: pregnancy, maltreatment, risk, prevention, service delivery) [PhD student]
    • Dr Kobie Boshoff (occupational therapy: developmental delay, service delivery models, sensory processing, program evaluation)
    • Prof Mark Boyd (population and social health, medicine, HIV, models of care)
    • Dr Mary Brushe (child health and development: parent-talk, inequality, language development, child development) [PhD student]
    • Dr Stephanie Byrne (children, development) 
    • Dr Catherine Chittleborough (early child development, prediction models, health inequalities, life course)
    • Ms Ashleigh Collier (nee Wilson) (early childhood development and education, social determinants of health [PhD Student]
    • Associate Professor Loc Do (oral epidemiology, determinants of child oral health, oral health inequality, risk and benefit trade-off of fluoride use)
    • Dr James Doidge (data linkage, data sets)
    • Mrs Dot Dumuid (physical activity, lifestyle behaviours, screen time, obesity, quality of life) [PhD student]
    • Emily Eglitis (health inequities, low SES children, activities) [PhD student]
    • Dr Yasmin Harman-Smith (child health, child devlopment)
    • Associate Professor Jaklin Eliott (health care decision making, alcohol, ethics, complementary and alternative medicine)
    • Dr Lesley-anne Ey (child protection, early childhood, socio-sexual development, bullying, media, sexualisation)
    • Ms Jennifer Fane (early years, wellbeing, transition to school) [PhD student]
    • Dr Ty Ferguson (digital health and use of time, physical activity and screen time practices in OSHC)
    • Dr Joanne Flavel (health equity, social determinants of health, social epidemiology)
    • Dr Angela Gialamas (early child health and development, social and health inequalities, life course epidemiology)
    • Ms Hulya Gilbert (urban planning, children's mobility and sustainability, child friendly cities, active play and travel, healthy cities) [PhD student]
    • Dr Emmanuel Gnanamanickam (child welfare, child protection, child abuse and neglect, linked data, health economics)
    • Dr Tess Gregory (child development, student wellbeing, mental health)
    • Dr Dandara Haag (child development, aboriginal health, oral health, parenting investments)
    • Dr James Herbert (program evaluation: child abuse, multi-disciplinary response, child advocacy centres)
    • A/Prof Natasha Howard (Social Determinants of Health; cardiometabolic disease; health inequities; monitoring and surveillance systems; public health advocacy, implementation science, Aboriginal health)
    • Dr Sana Ishaque (population health, children's quality of life) [PhD student]
    • Ms Fan Jia (vaccine technology, single-component vaccine, vaccination)
    • Ms Brittany Johnson (childhood nutrition, parents, obesity prevention, diet quality, unhealthy foods) [PhD student]
    • Kimberly Klassman (parental substance abuse, child protection, perinatal period, long term outcomes of children) [PhD student]
    • Neha Lalchandani (healthy eating, children, SA schools) [PhD student]
    • Dr Katrina Li (chronic lung disease, intergenerational health, epidemiology)
    • Ms Hayley Leake (adolescent chronic pain, pain science education)
    • Prof Carol Maher (health behaviour: physical activity, sleep, sedentary behaviour, technology-based interventions, disabilities)
    • Dr Afzal Mahmood (health care utilisation, evaluation, PHC, reproductive health)
    • Amelia Mardon (pain science education, pelvic pain, women and teens) [PhD student]
    • Professor Helen Marshall (immunisations, infectious diseases, vaccines, child health, epidemiology)
    • Dr Mark McMillan (vaccine research, respiratory infections, vaccine effectiveness, safety and impact of COVID19)
    • Dr Sonali Meena (primary health care, drug and alcohol, child health)
    • Bereket Menota (maternal and child nutrition, artificial sweetener consumption) [PhD student]
    • Associate Professor Lillian Mwanri (nutrition, psychology, reproductive health)
    • Dr Shagufta Perveen (maternal newborn and child health, health systems research)
    • Dr Tahna Pettman (food insecurity, SA food relief charter, service quality, food environments, community benefits)
    • Dr Silvia Pignata (adolescents and adult wellbeing, stress, sleep, resilience, digital health, work-family conflict)
    • Dr Rhiannon Pilkington (child health and development, child protection, disadvantage)
    • Dr Sophie Pointer (injury epidemiology, indigenous injury, child injury, patient safety, injury prevention and policy)
    • Dr Scott Polley (outdoor education, health, sustainability and pedagogy)
    • Alexandra Procter (Social determinants of Health, children, welfare)
    • Miss Megan Rebuli (nutrition, indigenous health, diet, child development) [PhD student]
    • A/Prof Nicky Ridgers (physical activity and sedentary behaviour)
    • Dr Amy Salter (biostatistics, randomised controlled trials, survival analysis, injecting drug users, registry data, epidemiology)
    • Dr Natasha Schranz (physical activity, health of young people)
    • Dr Helena Schuch (oral health, social epidemiology, life course, social determinants, socioeconomic position) [PhD student]
    • Ms Alanna Sincovich (child development: early, measurement, early human capability) [PhD student]
    • Dr Rebecca Stanley (physical activity and health, children)
    • Dr Jacqueline Stephens (epidemiology, social determinants of health, health inequities, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health, child health, infectious disease, ear health)
    • Dr Stefania Velardo (health literacy, children's nutrition literacy)
    • Ms Rosa Virgara (physical activity, screen-time and wellbeing, out of school hours services)
    • Dr Bing Wang (meningococcal disease, cost of illness, clinical and economic burden)
    • Dr Amanda Watson (children's daily activity patterns, diet between in-school and holiday periods, health and fitness)
  • Sociology

    Sociology can be broadly explained as a branch of science that studies society and the relationships of individual within a society.

    Members specialising in this research area include:

    Gender studies

    • Dr Fiona Buchanan (feminism, mothering, domestic violence, protectiveness, attachment)
    • Dr Margie Ripper (gender, embodiment, women's health and illness, reproductive policies)

    Nursing and midwifery

    Cultural

    • Dr Lareen Newman (social determinants of health, digital technologies and resource access, cultural and gender impacts on services access-impacts on family wellbeing, maternity care)
    • Dr Gabriella Zizzo (ethnography, culture and people's customs)
  • Virology

    Virology is a branch of microbiology that deals with the study of viruses and viral diseases.