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ANZPRA Executive Committee

ANZPRA

PRESIDENT: NATALIE HANNAN

Associate Professor Natalie Hannan is a NHMRC RD Wright CDF Fellow, who leads the Therapeutics Discovery and Vascular Function in Pregnancy Group at the University of Melbourne. A/Prof Hannan’s research focuses on understanding the dysfunctional placenta and developing novel therapeutic strategies to combat serious pregnancy complications, especially preeclampsia, hypertension in pregnancy and fetal growth restriction. Natalie is also the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion of the Faculty of MDHS at the University of Melbourne, she is a staunch ambassador women in STEM and is passionate about reducing the gender bias women face in our field.

SECRETARY: Sarah Marshall

Dr Sarah Marshall is an NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow located at the Ritchie Centre, Monash University/Monash Medical Centre. Here, she is undertaking her first post-doctoral position with A/Prof Kirsten Palmer. Dr Marshall’s research focuses on investigating potential treatments to target and improve maternal and placental blood vessel function in complicated pregnancies.

TREASURER: KIRSTY PRINGLE

Associate Professor Kirsty Pringle is a teaching/research academic in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of Newcastle. After more than a decade as a full-time researcher, and an ARC Future Fellow (2016-2020) in the Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Sciences she was appointed to an ongoing teaching/research position at UON in 2020. Kirsty leads the Pregnancy and Placental Biology Research Group and is Director of the largest Indigenous pregnancy through early childhood cohort worldwide (Gomeroi Gaaynggal). Kirsty’s primary research interest is in the intrauterine, circulating, and intrarenal renin-angiotensin systems in pregnancy and how they contribute to complications of pregnancy.

MEMBER: CAITLIN WYRWOLL

Dr Caitlin Wyrwoll is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Her research group uses a range of multidisciplinary imaging approaches to understand how early life environment impacts on placental development and function and fetal outcomes. They also take a life course approach to track how environmental changes in pregnancy impact on maternal and offspring health.

MEMBERSHIPS OFFICER & SOCIAL MEDIA LIASON: NATASHA DE ALWIS

Natasha de Alwis is a PhD student in the Therapeutics Discovery and Vascular Function Group (part of the Translational Obstetrics Group) at the University of Melbourne. Her project focuses on understanding and modelling the systemic vascular changes in pre-eclampsia and its long-term effects, as well as assessing the role of candidate therapeutics on vascular reactivity.

ECR REPRESENTATIVE: JOSH FISHER

Dr Josh Fisher is a Postdoctoral research fellow working out of Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle. His research focuses on mitochondrial adaptions and metabolism in the human placenta, and the involvement of mitochondria in gestational disorders.

AUSTRALASIAN EDITOR OF PLACENTA: TONY PERKINS

Professor Perkins is the Foundation Dean of Health at UniSC. He is a biochemist with particular interests in placental mitochondria and antioxidant enzyme systems. His research is focused on placental dysfunction in complications of pregnancy such as fetal growth restriction, preterm birth and preeclampsia. Professor Perkins is the current Australasian Editor for the journal Placenta.

ECR REPRESENTATIVE: Lucy Bartho

Dr. Lucy Bartho is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Translational Obstetrics Group at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on discovering novel biomarkers for the prediction and early diagnosis of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.