Board of Directors

Current Board Members

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  President

  Adrienne Gordon

  Prof Adrienne Gordon is a  Senior Neonatal Staff Specialist in the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and a Clinical Professor in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology at the University of Sydney. Adrienne is recognised as a unique neonatal clinician-researcher whose research focuses on pregnancy and maternal as well as neonatal health interventions. She is co-chair of the Sydney Institute for Women, Children and Families and the Sydney Health Partners Clinical Academic Group for Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health. She holds other key leadership roles nationally and internationally including Deputy Secretary General-Oceania for Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, Board Director of International Stillbirth Alliance, Co-Chair of the Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Australasian Collaborative Trials (IMPACT) Network and President of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ). Prof Gordon is a CI on the NHMRC Stillbirth Centre for Research Excellence and co-leads their novel interventions program which includes RCTs in preconception and pregnancy covering maternal weight, sleep position, labour and fetal monitoring. She has significant expertise in implementation research, clinical trials and translating research into policy and practice in healthcare.
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  Past-President

  Miranda Davies-Tuck

  Dr Miranda Davies-Tuck is an NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Stillbirth Fellow. She obtained her PhD from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University in 2010 where she worked on a number of large prospective cohort studies developing epidemiological and bio-statistical expertise. Miranda joined The Ritchie Centre in 2012 and in 2014 was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Research to undertake research to address disparities in poor pregnancy outcomes among migrant women in Victoria. This work resulted in changes to clinical care that have lowered the rates of stillbirth in women of South Asian background at Monash Health.

  Miranda currently leads a research program that combines population-based and clinical epidemiological studies with basic science research to improve maternity care and outcomes for women and their babies. She has a particular focus on addressing disparities in stillbirth rates seen in migrant and refugee women in Victoria, understanding drivers of preterm stillbirth, randomised controlled trials to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes, assessing the effectiveness of current antenatal and intrapartum interventions and improving access and safety of homebirth.

  Dr Davies-Tuck also has an established collaboration with Safer Care Victoria, the lead quality improvement agency for the state, where she has a secondment to undertake research that aligns with department of health priorities and her research interests as well as develop state guidance and policies.

  Miranda is an executive member of the NHMRC CRE Stillbirth and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand Interdisciplinary Maternal Perinatal Australasian Collaborative Trials (PSANZ-IMPACT) network as well as sitting on the scientific advisory board for the Stillbirth Foundation Australia.
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  Incoming President

  Chris Lehner

  A/Professor Chris Lehner works as a Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist Obstetrician at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Queensland. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (APTBPA) and Queensland Clinical Lead of the National Preterm Birth Prevention Program. Chris co-chairs the joint Timing of Birth Working Group between APTBPA and the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth. In these concurrent roles, he has been involved in the co-design of an evidence-based tool kit to optimise timing of birth at term, while assisting in the development of the Safer Baby Bundle educational resources. Chris currently leads several collaborative quality improvement and implementation projects that focus on improving rural and remote maternity care in Australia. 
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  Treasurer

  Jonathan Hirst

  Professor Jonathan Hirst's primary research interest is centred on the development of fetus during late gestation and the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes.  This work involves examining the effects of stressors that compromise late pregnancy and adversely affect the growing fetus. In addition, his studies examine the adverse effects of premature birth which deprives the fetus of the nurturing in utero environment. The consequent loss of development promoting hormones reduces growth of the baby’s brain leading to long-term damage and behavioural deficits that stretches into childhood and beyond.
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  Secretary

  Tanya Nippita

  A/Prof Nippita is a Staff Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia. In addition to her substantial clinical responsibilities, Tanya’s passion lies in education and clinical research. She is a RANZCOG ITP Supervisor, a RANZCOG OSCE Co-Ordinator and sits on the 10th RANZCOG College Council as one of the NSW Councillors. Her current research with Womens and Babies Research, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, aims to make a major contribution to the judicious use of obstetric interventions & the practice of evidence-based maternity care.A/Prof Nippita is a Staff Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia. In addition to her substantial clinical responsibilities, Tanya’s passion lies in education and clinical research. She is a RANZCOG ITP Supervisor, a RANZCOG OSCE Co-Ordinator and sits on the 10th RANZCOG College Council as one of the NSW Councillors. Her current research with Womens and Babies Research, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, aims to make a major contribution to the judicious use of obstetric interventions & the practice of evidence-based maternity care.

• Director

  April Mihaere

  April is a mum of two premature babies born at 23 and 24 weeks. She uses these experiences to help provide a lived experience perspective on the PSANZ Director board. She was previously an executive member of PSNZ and she is currently involved in the steering committee for PLATIPUS (Platform for adaptive trials in Units) in both NZ and Aus, as well as a member of the Carosika Collaborative community. 
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  Director

  Atul Malhotra

  A/Professor Atul Malhotra is a senior neonatologist and mid-career researcher with a good handle on the dynamics of the society as well as the clinical and research landscape of perinatal medicine in ANZ, having been in clinical practice here for the last 20 years. Atul has a wide collaborative global network in neonatal evidence based medicine, neonatal clinical trials and especially in regenerative medicine, global health education, and dissemination of scientific knowledge and evidence. Atul is the chief organiser of two other meetings in the ANZ region - Neonatal Cell Therapies Symposium and the Australasian Brain Club whilst also being on the Scientific Committee of the AusACPDM annual conference. In addition, he has been an active PSANZ Academy member for over a decade as well as a previous IMPACT member.
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  Director

  Billie Bradford

  Billie Bradford is a midwife and a lecturer at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Practice at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
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  Director

  Deanna Stuart-Butler

  Deanna Stuart-Butler, belonging to the Arabana people of South Australia is a key figure in First Nations health research, focusing on stillbirth. As Senior Advisor, Indigenous Research and Co-lead Equity and Diversity, Stillbirth CRE, she leads First Nations initiatives within the NHMRC Stillbirth CRE and the Safer Baby Bundle, enhancing First Nations health and advocates for the integration of Aboriginal culture into health services. Her active involvement in research projects shines a light on First Nations experiences with stillbirth and informs culturally appropriate training for healthcare providers.
  As a founding member of the Aboriginal Community and Families Research Alliance in South Australia, she transforms community needs into impactful research and policy. From being the inaugural recipient of the SA Aboriginal Maternal Infant Care qualification to leading the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program at Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide. Her unwavering resolve is to continue to apply research into mainstream maternity care models with a commitment to strengthening and preserving the cultural practices and traditions significant to First Nations communities. Always advocating and reinforcing the ‘rite’ of all First Nations babies, women, families, and communities.
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  Director

  Jutta van den Boom

  Dr Jutta van den Boom is a neonatal paediatrician at the neonatal unit at Waikato Hospital and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. With a diverse background in anaesthesia, general paediatrics, and neonatology, Jutta has gained valuable experience working across multiple centres in Germany, Canada, and New Zealand.
  Jutta’s special interests are neonatal nutrition, quality improvement and recently the establishment of an Aotearoa NZ neonatal formulary. She is a principle investigator for COSI-2 and Protect research trials. She is also a member of the Aotearoa Nutrition Guidelines for Preterm Babies Project, National Maternity Clinical Network Governance Group, and ANZNN CPI committee. She is the current President of the Perinatal Society of New Zealand (PSNZ).
  Collaboration and research in perinatology have been at the heart of her professional journey, driving her commitment to advancing care in the field.
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  Director

  Sue Walker

  Professor Sue Walker is a Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine based in Melbourne and Co-Director of Mercy Perinatal as well as Head of Department (Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health) at the University of Melbourne.  Her research, clinical leadership and education programs are all directed to improving care in high-risk pregnancy and mentoring the next generation of clinicians and academics. Sue has also had additional leadership experience through RANZCOG, the Stillbirth CRE, NHMRC and LEAP Guideline Development and acknowledges these positions helped to accelerate her pace of knowledge translation and improving outcomes for pregnant women and their babies.    
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  Representing Lived Experience Advisory Network

  Natalie Merida

  Natalie is the Chair of the PSANZ Lived Experience Advisory Network (LEAN), helping to provide advice to PSANZ from a lived experience perspective and offering those with lived experience participation in PSANZ subcommittees and activities. Nat is a mum to 29 weeker twin boys, a parent representative, ANZNN Executive Committee, parent representative, PREMITUR study, NurtureProgram support worker, Miracle Babies Foundation (casual part-time) and Former parent representative, Miracle Babies Foundation
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  Representing Early Career Research Committee

  Dimple Goel

  Dr Dimple Goel is a PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia and a Senior Clinical Lecturer in the UWA Medical School. A Neonatologist and Paediatric Sleep Specialist, she has a strong clinical and academic focus on perinatal and neonatal medicine. She also holds master’s in health management and master’s in public Health from UNSW, equipping her with expertise in both clinical practice and healthcare leadership.
  Her doctoral research investigates sleep health in early life, with a focus on innovative approaches to diagnosing and managing sleep-disordered breathing and its impact on quality of life and long-term outcomes. She integrates clinical expertise with translational research to advance evidence-based, family-centered care.
  Dr Goel has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications, presented at national and international conferences, and serves as a peer reviewer for leading journals. She is also an invited speaker at scientific and professional forums. In addition, she contributes to medical education and mentors early career researchers through her roles with RACP and UWA. Her work has been recognized with the ISWA Personal Excellence Award (2022) awarded by education minister of WA and the Stars of CAHS Consumer Award (2022), alongside multiple competitive research and service development grants.
  As PSANZ Early Career Research (ECR) Chair, she is committed to strengthening opportunities for emerging researchers and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.