Dr Himanshu Popat
People_

Dr Himanshu Popat

Senior Staff Specialist Neonatologist
NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre Future Leader Fellow
Clinical Senior Lecturer
The Children's Hospital at Westmead and The University of Sydney
Phone
02 98452714
Dr Himanshu Popat

Dr Himanshu Popat is the Clinical Lead and Co-director of the Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care Unit at the Children's Hospital at Westmead. He is the Future Leader Fellow at the NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre, Camperdown, Sydney. He co-leads research at the Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care and chairs the NSW Newborn Intensive Care Unit Study (NICUS) group, which audits the mortality and morbidity of all babies admitted to NSW and ACT Newborn Intensive care Units.

Dr Popat is an early career researcher who finished his Phd in 2019 titled "Delayed Cord Clamping in extremely preterm infants – effect on measures of systemic blood flow, cerebral oxygenation and clinical outcomes".

Dr Popat's vision is to reduce disability in children born at high risk of neurodevelopmental impairment by (A) preventing brain injury and (B) identifying and treating it early.

Dr Himanshu Popat's research interest include clinical trials in high risk newborns investigating neuroprotective strategies, implementation trials of proven health interventions, cohort studies exploring innovative screening tools to identify infants at risk of cerebral palsy and consumer co-designed research to directly address consumer set priorities.

WAMM (Wait a Minute or More) Study, a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial to implement delayed cord clamping in 11,000 preterm babies <37 weeks’ gestation through local quality improvement programs in 20 Australian hospitals.

NEOnatal STroke Mesenchymal Stem Cell Trial, A phase 1 study to assess the immediate safety of early and repeated IV administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for neonatal stroke, to pave the way for efficacy trials of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in perinatal arterial ischemic stroke

A feasibility cohort study of General Movements Assessment as an early surrogate marker of cerebral palsy using videos taken by parents of high-risk infants in low- or middle- income countries.

NURTURE study. A Multicenter pilot RCT of targeting brain oxygenation in extremely preterm infants to improve neuro-developmental outcomes

Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health

Publications

Journals

  • Chughtai, A., Spotswood, N., Strunk, T., Parmar, T., Schindler, T., Popat, H., Wen Chow, S., LUI, K. (2024). Association between Congenital Anomalies and Late-Onset Bacterial Infections in Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Australia and New Zealand: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Neonatology, , 540276. [More Information]
  • Griffiths, N., Laing, S., Spence, K., Foureur, M., Popat, H., Hickey, L., Sinclair, L. (2024). Developmental care education in Australian surgical neonatal intensive care units: A cross-sectional study of nurses’ perceptions. Heliyon, 10(10), e30572. [More Information]
  • Griffiths, N., Laing, S., Spence, K., Foureur, M., Popat, H., Gittany, H., Sinclair, L., Kasparian, N. (2024). Mental health screening for parents following surgical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. Early Human Development, 198, 106128. [More Information]

2024

  • Chughtai, A., Spotswood, N., Strunk, T., Parmar, T., Schindler, T., Popat, H., Wen Chow, S., LUI, K. (2024). Association between Congenital Anomalies and Late-Onset Bacterial Infections in Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Australia and New Zealand: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Neonatology, , 540276. [More Information]
  • Griffiths, N., Laing, S., Spence, K., Foureur, M., Popat, H., Hickey, L., Sinclair, L. (2024). Developmental care education in Australian surgical neonatal intensive care units: A cross-sectional study of nurses’ perceptions. Heliyon, 10(10), e30572. [More Information]
  • Griffiths, N., Laing, S., Spence, K., Foureur, M., Popat, H., Gittany, H., Sinclair, L., Kasparian, N. (2024). Mental health screening for parents following surgical neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. Early Human Development, 198, 106128. [More Information]

2023

  • Sathanandam, S., McNamara, P., Pedra, C., Toyoshima, K., Malekzadeh-Milani, S., Patkai, J., Baspinar, O., Uslu, H., Promphan, W., Khorana, M., Popat, H., Mervis, J., et al (2023). A Global Perspective on PDA Management in the Extremely Premature: Shifting Trend Toward Transcatheter Closure. Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions, 2(4), 100968. [More Information]
  • Legge, N., Popat, H., Fitzgerald, D. (2023). Examining the impact of premature birth on parental mental health and family functioning in the years following hospital discharge: A review. Journal of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine, 16(2), 195-208. [More Information]
  • Legge, N., Popat, H., Fitzgerald, D. (2023). Improved survival at the cost of more chronic lung disease? Current management and outcomes in extremely preterm infants born in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory: 2010–2020. World Journal of Pediatrics. [More Information]

2022

  • Mukerji, S., Popat, H., Chung, J. (2022). Accuracy of bilirubin on the Siemens RAPIDPoint 500 blood gas analyser: A data mining study. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 58(6), 1013-1015. [More Information]
  • Popat, H., Angiti, R., Jyoti, J., Webb, A., Barnes, E., Halliday, R., Badawi, N., De Lima, J., Spence, K., Thomas, G., et al (2022). Continuous local anaesthetic wound infusion of bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in neonates: A randomised control trial (CANWIN Study). BMJ Paediatrics Open, 6(1). [More Information]
  • Thomas, M., Shah, S., Popat, H., Hanna, B., Jani, P. (2022). Hypoglycaemia and myotonic dystrophy. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 58(4), 713-714. [More Information]

2021

  • Sloukova, E., Popat, H., Jones, L., Shun, A., Spence, K. (2021). Local wound analgesia in infants undergoing thoracic or abdominal surgery. The Cochrane Library Chichester UK: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2021 (5), CD012672. [More Information]

2020

  • Hort, A., Popat, H., Halliday, R., Galea, C., Soundappan, S. (2020). Abdominal compartment syndrome monitoring in neonates with an acute abdomen – A pilot, retrospective, observational study. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 55(7), 1296-1301. [More Information]
  • Dunn, H., Kim, L., Popat, H., Walker, K., Lock, J., Smith, J. (2020). Ophthalmic findings in neonates receiving sildenafil. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 56(6), 884-888. [More Information]
  • Novak, I., Morgan, C., Fahey, M., Finch-Edmondson, M., Galea, C., Hines, A., Langdon, K., McNamara, M., Paton, M., Popat, H., Khamis, A., Stanton, E., Finemore, O., Tricks, A., te Velde, A., Badawi, N., et al (2020). State of the Evidence Traffic Lights 2019: Systematic Review of Interventions for Preventing and Treating Children with Cerebral Palsy. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 20(2), 3. [More Information]

2019

  • Lawley, C., Popat, H., Wong, M., Badawi, N., Ayer, J. (2019). A Dramatic Response to Sirolimus Therapy in a Premature Infant With Massive Cardiac Rhabdomyoma. JACC: Case Reports, 1(3), 327-331. [More Information]
  • Popat, H., Robledo, K., Kirby, A., Sebastian, L., Evans, N., Gill, A., Kluckow, M., Sinhal, S., de Waal, K., Tarnow-Mordi, W., Osborn, D. (2019). Associations of measures of systemic blood flow used in a randomized trial of delayed cord clamping in preterm infants. Pediatric Research: international journal of human developmental biology, 86(1), 71-76. [More Information]
  • Popat, H., Galea, C., Evans, N., Lingwood, B., Colditz, P., Halliday, R., Osborn, D. (2019). Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping on Cerebral Oxygenation in Very Preterm Infants. Neonatology, 115(1), 13-20. [More Information]

2018

  • Tarnow-Mordi, W., Morris, J., Kirby, A., Robledo, K., Askie, L., Brown, R., Evans, N., Finlayson, S., Fogarty, M., Gebski, V., Ghadge, A., Hague, W., Isaacs, D., Jeffery, M., Keech, A., Kluckow, M., Popat, H., Sebastian, L., Liley, H., Osborn, D., Simes, R., et al (2018). Delayed Versus Immediate Cord Clamping in Preterm Infants. Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey, 73(5), 265-266. [More Information]
  • Popat, H., Robledo, K., Sebastian, L., Evans, N., Gill, A., Kluckow, M., Sinhal, S., de Waal, K., Tarnow-Mordi, W., Osborn, D. (2018). Interobserver agreement and image quality of functional cardiac ultrasound measures used in a randomised trial of delayed cord clamping in preterm infants. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 103(3), F257-F263. [More Information]

2017

  • Tarnow-Mordi, W., Morris, J., Kirby, A., Robledo, K., Askie, L., Brown, R., Evans, N., Finlayson, S., Fogarty, M., Gebski, V., Ghadge, A., Hague, W., Isaacs, D., Jeffery, M., Keech, A., Kluckow, M., Popat, H., Sebastian, L., Liley, H., Osborn, D., Simes, R., et al (2017). Delayed versus Immediate Cord Clamping in Preterm Infants. New England Journal of Medicine, 377(25), 2445-2455. [More Information]
  • Sloukova, E., Popat, H., Jones, L., Shun, A., Spence, K. (2017). Local wound analgesia in infants undergoing thoracic or abdominal surgery (Intervention Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017 (5), 1-15. [More Information]
  • Pharande, P., Karthigeyan, S., Walker, K., D'Cruz, D., Badawi, N., Luig, M., Winlaw, D., Popat, H. (2017). Unilateral vocal cord paralysis after surgical closure of a patent ductus arteriosus in extremely preterm infants. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 53(12), 1192-1198. [More Information]

2016

  • Popat, H., Robledo, K., Sebastian, L., Evans, N., Gill, A., Kluckow, M., Sinhal, S., de Waal, K., Tarnow-Mordi, W., Osborn, D. (2016). Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping on Systemic Blood Flow: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Pediatrics, 178, 81-86. [More Information]

2014

  • Popat, H., Wall, M., Browning Carmo, K., Berry, A. (2014). Potentially avoidable neonatal retrievals in New South Wales: a retrospective analysis. Medical Journal of Australia, 200(1), 33-36. [More Information]

2012

  • Popat, H., Kluckow, M. (2012). Noninvasive Assessment of the Early Transitional Circulation in Healthy Term Infants. Neonatology, 101(3), 166-171. [More Information]
  • Popat, H., Kapoor, V., Travadi, J. (2012). Patent ductus arteriosus in infants <29 weeks gestation--outcomes and factors affecting closure. Indian Pediatrics, 49(8), 615-620. [More Information]

2010

  • Popat, H., Sinn, J., Cooper, P. (2010). Endobronchial polyp in a neonate. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46(6), 354-356. [More Information]

Selected Grants

2024

  • Does initial incubator humidity of 95% versus 80% reduce hypernatraemia, skin injury, sepsis and brain damage in extremely preterm infants? Establishing a world-first, pragmatic, randomised comparative effectiveness trial., Jani P, Barnes E, Popat H, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF CRI 2023 Clinician Researchers: Applied Research in Health

2022

  • Lungs for Life: creating a virtual ward to prevent clinical deterioration in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, Oei J, Chang A, Tracy M, Pillow J, Fitzgerald D, McEwan A, Khanna S, Halliday R, Pussell K, Hartz D, Popat H, Lee E, Simpson S, Wilson A, Mazariego C, Department of Health and Aged Care (Federal - administered by NHMRC)/MRFF 2021 Chronic Respiratory Conditions
Grants
  1. Chief Investigator, Co-Lead for“Wait a Minute or More Study, a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial (SW-CRT)” that received $2.9 M from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF2022801).
  2. Chief investigatorfor a project titled “Lungs for life: Using wearable oximetry and a virtual ward to improve outcomes of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)” (MRFF2023224) that received funding of $1,918,885 over 4 years from MRFF.
  3. Coordinating Principal Investigator of the $1M Cerebral Palsy Alliance funded (2022) NEOSTeM (NEOnatal STroke Mesenchymal Stem Cell) Trial, a phase 1 study to assess the immediate safety of early and repeated IV administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for neonatal stroke, to pave the way for efficacy trials of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in perinatal arterial ischemic stroke.
  4. Chief investigator. Research Foundation of Cerebral Palsy Alliance grant, AU$200,000.00 over 2 years for a project: Targeting brain oxygenation in extremely preterm infants to improve neuro-developmental outcomes. A pilot blinded randomised controlled trial (PRG07219).

In the media

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGlhXVSmnec