Pregnancy and Birth
Most prospective mothers anticipate healthy and problem-free pregnancies. However, in reality complications are common, with a quarter of Australian pregnancies affected by one or more conditions that can have serious, lifelong health implications for the mother and her baby.
The most common conditions affecting Australian pregnancies are preeclampsia, preterm birth, foetal growth restriction and gestational diabetes. Their cost for individuals, families and communities is enormous, and can last a lifetime.
The Robinson Research Institute leads our research in pregnancy and birth and has an outstanding record of success in the area. This success relates to the cross-disciplinary capability and bench-to-bedside approach, which has led to major improvements in the health outcomes of mothers and babies. A more in-depth explanation of this research area is available on the Robinson Research Institute’s website.
Our research centres and institutes working in this area
- Robinson Research Institute (Professor Sarah Robertson)
Our research groups working in this area
- BetterStart - Child Health and Development Research Group (Professor John Lynch)
- Breast Biology and Cancer Unit (Associate Professor Wendy Ingman)
- Health of Pregnant Mothers and Babies (Professor Jodie Dodd)
- Lifelong Health Research (Professor Jodie Dodd)
- Neuroimmunopharmacology Laboratory (Professor Mark Hutchinson)
- Reproductive Biotechnology Unit (Associate Professor Mark Nottle)
- Reproductive Immunology Group (Professor Sarah Robertson)
Lead researchers
For additional leads in this area of research, please contact Pregnancy and Birth researchers.
Interested in a postgraduate research degree?
We offer exciting opportunities for researchers at the honours, masters and PhD levels. Our research degrees are open to students from a broad range of backgrounds, and range from basic sciences to clinical research. If you are interested in human health, consider furthering your research career with us.