Reproductive, maternal and child health

Excellent reproductive health for men, women and children, together with effective medical care, are essential to give every individual the potential for a happy, healthy and productive life.

Our understanding of the effects of foetal and childhood life on adult and community health gives our researchers the best opportunity in history to have a profound effect on global health. Their focused approach in these three areas will open the door to better health and wellbeing for those in developed and developing countries.

The questions that our researchers are pursuing cover the full spectrum from conception to lifelong health, impact on the health of the local and international community and are important for all. Our research questions include:

Why is the health of a foetus such a strong determinant in the life-long health of the person?

How can we contribute to the reduction of infant mortality in developing countries?

Is it possible to develop a male contraceptive?

Theme Co-leaders

Professor Cheryl Jones and Associate Professor Christopher O'Neill

Find a Researcher

Looking for a researcher or a PhD supervisor? Take a look at the "Find a Researcher" page to search for our world-class reproductive medicine and maternal and child health researchers.

Latest News

Prof Elizabeth Elliott recognised with a 100 Women of Influence Award
Congratulations to Professor Elizabeth Elliott, Kids Research Institute’s Head of the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, for being recognised with a 100 Women of Influence Award by The Australian Financial Review and Westpac. MORE

Avant sponsors young medical researchers
Congratulations to Dr Galum Khandaker, Children’s Hospital Westmead, who has won one of four part time scholarships worth $25,000. MORE

2014 King Faisal International Medicine Prize
Nominations for the King Faisal International Medicine Prize in the topic "non-invasive diagnosis of fetal diseases" are now open. More information (PDF, 333Kb)

Cheryl Jones appointed Deputy Dean
Congratulations to Reproductive Maternal and Child Health co- Theme leader Professor Cheryl Jones, who has been appointed joint Deputy Dean (Clinical) of Sydney Medical School. Cheryl will share the role with Professor Tania Sorrell of Westmead Clinical School until March 2015.

Professors North, Baur & Christodoulou on NHMRC committees
Congratulations to Professors Kathryn North, Louise Baur and John Christodoulou, who have been appointed to NHMRC committees for the triennium 2012 to 2015. MORE

Australia Day Honours 2012
Professor Kathryn North has been conferred as a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia, and Dr David Lillystone has been awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division. MORE

NHMRC Grants Success
This year was a very successful round for members of the Reproductive and Child Health theme, with over 11 million dollars of research funding awarded in NHMRC and ARC project, CRE and fellowship schemes. Over 17 projects were awarded to theme members. MORE

Early Career Research Support
Dr Thomas (Tom) Snelling has just been announced as the “Frank Fenner” NHRMC Early Career Fellow, supporting his research on vaccination effectiveness and safety. MORE

Research Theme Day, June 2011
The Reproductive and Child Health Research Theme conference held in June this year was a great success, with 120 attendees and excellent research presented from across the Theme. MORE

SyReNs Healthy Trajectory
A network proposal to the Vice Chancellors SyReNS research network scheme was successful in the EOI phase. This network aims to bring researchers with common interests together to discover fresh approaches for knowledge translation and novel directions for research informed by participant values. MORE

Newborn pertussis vaccine study
In Australia and comparable countries, 90% of severe pertussis occurs under 6 months, despite >90% immunisation coverage in children over 6 months of age. MORE

Australasian Child and Adolescent Obesity Research Network (ACAORN)
ACAORN was established in November 2002 by University of Sydney researchers in response to the challenges posed by the epidemic of child and adolescent obesity. MORE

Early Prevention of Obesity in CHildhood (EPOCH) collaboration
The EPOCH collaboration is funded to perform the first randomised controlled trials internationally to look at primary prevention of obesity in early childhood. When all the data are combined (an estimated 1800 participants by age 2 years) there will be a wealth of information.MORE

Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB) meeting Reportback MORE

Professor Patrick Tam elected Royal Society Fellow
Congratulations Professor Patrick Tam for being honoured for his lifelong work in embryology research. A world authority in early mouse development, Professor Patrick Tam was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) - the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence - for his outstanding scientific achievement and career-long contribution to science.

Professor Patrick Tam is internationally recognised for his pioneering work of 28 years in investigating how the basic body plan of the early mouse embryo takes shape by performing meticulous mapping of the ways cells differentiate and move in concert. His 'fate maps' reveal how cells are being put together to form the essential building blocks for different parts of the body and how that development is controlled by signals and genetic switches. This work has laid the foundation for his ongoing research into the developmental causes of birth defects and cell-based therapy. MORE