Brian Darlow is Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Otago, Christchurch. His clinical work has been predominantly as a neonatologist and main research interests have focused on free-radical disease in the newborn including bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), neonatal networking and unit variations in outcome, and longer-term outcome following preterm birth including the longitudinal NZ 1986 VLBW Study. He is the author of over 250 original publications.
Professor Lianne Woodward is currently Professor of Child Developmental Psychology at the University of Canterbury. Previous appointments include Director of Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, co-Director of the Intellectual Disabilities and Development Research Centre at Washington University in St Louis and Head of School Health Sciences University of Canterbury. Her research focuses on how early adversity affects children’s brain and behavioural development, with particular interests in the effects of prematurity, prenatal drug exposures and early family relationships. Awards include the Health Research Council Liley Medal, the Condliffe Memorial Prize, James Cook Fellowship, and a team leadership award from Partner Health for her work in establishing the Brigham Centre for Child Development.
Nicola Austin is a neonatologist involved in all aspects on newborn care and has special interests in the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm and sick newborns as well as the assessment of cardiorespiratory function and nutrition. She is a Clinical Associate Professor (2011) of the University of Otago, Christchurch and from 1999 until March 2016 was the Clinical Director of the Neonatal Service at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, back again since 2019. She is involved in a number of national child and perinatal committees including current President of the Paediatric Society.
Elza is a neonatal paediatrician at Christchurch Women’s Hospital. She moved to Christchurch in 2020 after completing a PhD at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. Her research was focused on critical congenital heart disease in New Zealand-born infants. As part of this research a feasibility study of newborn pulse oximetry screening was conducted at three District Health Boards. Elza is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Health’s National Screening Unit on developing national guidelines for newborn pulse oximetry screening.
Bronwyn Dixon is a Neonatal Paediatrician who is particularly interested in Ventilation and Ultrasound (and equipment that can be used for both of these). She also leads our Tongue Tie service.
Professor Philip Schluter is a Professor on Population Health, and leader of the Child Population Health theme within the Child Well-being Research Institute at the University of Canterbury. His research is largely epidemiological in nature, driven by a social justice perspective. Publications and student supervisions have predominantly focused on population inequity, forming an evidence base to inform health policies. Many of his peer-reviewed journal articles explicitly deal with the social determinants of health, often embedded in local contexts but motivated by national or international public health priority areas seeking to reduce health inequalities. Philip is particularly interested in improving New Zealand children’s oral health.
Professor Gillon is the founding director of the Child Wellbeing Research Institute at the University of Canterbury and is Deputy Director for the Better Start National Science Challenge. E Tipu E Rea.
Professor Gillon is a world leading expert in children’s phonological awareness development and its importance for reading success, particularly for children with speech and language disorders or children at risk for dyslexia. She is the recipient of University of Canterbury's prestigious research medal and this year was made a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi in recognition of her contributions to advancing research excellence. Her current work involves culturally responsive and strengths-based approaches to ensuring children’s learning success and wellbeing within the context of their whānau.
Laurie is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury, and director of The Good Nights Programme. Over the past 10 years, she has developed a systematic programme of research into the behavioural, psychological and physiological qualities of sleep in children with developmental disorders. This includes investigations into the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for sleep problems in children on the autism spectrum and rare genetic developmental disorders, the sequela associated with sleep disorders, and the impact of poor sleep on family functioning and quality of life. Most recently, her research has focused on creating and evaluating innovative, telehealth-delivered sleep treatment programmes.
Sam Dalton has recently commenced work as a Respiratory and Sleep Paediatrician in Christchurch after completing fellowships in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Paediatric Sleep Medicine, and Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and Monash Children’s Hospital, with all of his earlier training in Christchurch. Areas of specific interest include Paediatric flexible bronchoscopy, diagnostic sleep services, and quality improvement initiatives utilising practical applications of technology.
Philip Pattemore is Associate Professor of Paediatrics, University of Otago Christchurch, and a respiratory and general paediatrician. His research interests are in the epidemiology and natural history of asthma, pathophysiology and management of cystic fibrosis, and smoking and vaping in relation to children and their parents.
Michael Tarren-Sweeney is a clinical child psychologist, epidemiologist and child developmental theorist. His life’s work is focused on understanding the nature and causes of adverse psychological development and mental ill-health experienced by children and young people in out-of-home care. He conducted the New South Wales Children in Care study (1999-2010) – a longitudinal, epidemiological study of the mental health and psychosocial development of children in foster and kinship care, and related social adversity effects. The study expanded our understanding of the nature and complexity of mental health difficulties experienced by children in care. As part of this work, Michael developed the Assessment Checklist series of measures (ACC, ACA, ACC+, BAC-C, BAC-A) of mental health difficulties experienced by children and adolescents in care that were not covered by existing survey measures. The measures have since been employed in 40+ population and clinical studies, and more than 1,000 child mental health services have registered to use the measures. Michael advises governments in Europe and Australasia on child welfare and alternate care policy, and the delivery of specialised mental health services for vulnerable children; and he is founder and editor-in-chief of the Sage international peer-reviewed journal Developmental Child Welfare.
Dr Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu) is a lecturer in Māori health in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury. She has been researching in the broad areas of Māori development and public health since completing her Master of Public Health in 2000. Annabel has recently completed her doctoral studies focused on the experiences of Māori adoptees and the implications for the construct of identity.
Angharad completed her PhD on the topic of self-management for children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in 2019. This included the design and development of a mobile health app for children to learn self-management of their IBD, and the development of a series of outcome measures to assess their self-management skills, disease specific knowledge, and symptom self-reporting. Angharad’s post-doctoral work is focusing on the development of a multi-faceted research programme for children with IBD related to transition outcomes, diagnostic delay, health care utilisation, and treatment strategies.
Dr Martin de Bock is a paediatric endocrinologist, currently in a joint academic and clinical position at the University of Otago, Christchurch. Following his PhD at the Liggins Institute in Auckland, he spent five years in Perth under the mentorship of Professor Tim Jones and Professor Liz Davis, where he was involved with, and the primary investigator for numerous studies, especially with closed loop technology. Many of these studies included adults with type 1 diabetes. Most recently he has embarked on a large long term multi-site study investigating the “DIY” closed loop systems, the first of its kind. His research interests include nutrition and exercise, where he has published and presented internationally. As a clinician and researcher, he is able to offer insights to the reality of new technologies, how they work, and how to get the most out of them. Further, with close relationships with industry he is able to give a glimpse into the technology of tomorrow.
Fi Graham is a Senior Lecturer with the University of Otago, Wellington, Te Whare Whakamatutu, teaching distance-based interprofessional postgraduate rehabilitation. Dr Graham’s research centres on knowledge translation of evidence-based practices in rehabilitation, telehealth to improve access and equity in service provision and coaching in rehabilitation to enhance participation in life situations for children with neurodisability.
Founding Director and Patron, Telethon Kids Institute, a unique multidisciplinary independent research institute focussing on the causes and prevention of major problems affecting children and youth; Distinguished Research Professor, University of Western Australia; Hon Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne; UNICEF Ambassador; Scientific Advisor Doctors for the Environment; Board Director Ian Potter Foundation; and Scientific advisor Poche Centre for Aboriginal leadership.
She trained overseas in Epidemiology and Maternal and Child Health, established population data sets in Western Australia including registers of major child hood problems, championed record linkage, and pioneered First Nations leadership in research. For her research on behalf of Australia's children and Aboriginal social justice, she was named Australian of the Year in 2003. More recently she has become a spokesperson for the Climate Council, Doctors for the Environment Australia and 350.Org, on the health effects of climate change.
Ria Schroder – (PhD) completed her PhD at the University of Canterbury in 2004 and since that time has been an active member of the Collaborative Trust team. In September 2012 Ria was engaged as the Research and Evaluation Manager and is now the Director of the Collaborative Trust. Ria also holds an Adjunct Senior Fellow position in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury and a Clinical Senior Lecturer Position in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch. She has undertaken and supervised a number of research and evaluation projects in the area of youth health and development and she has a particular interest in positive youth development, youth substance use and addiction and youth sexual health. Ria is primarily a qualitative researcher but also has some experience doing quantitative research.
Sarah Wylie (MA (hons) completed her MA in psychology at the University of Canterbury in 1993. After working as a researcher and research analyst in central government departments, Sarah moved to Christchurch and has worked as an independent social researcher and evaluator since 1997. Sarah is primarily a qualitative researcher, with some quantitative research experience. Sarah has undertaken an extensive range of research and evaluation projects, including many needs assessment and strategy development projects for local government, research in the social service sector and with a broad range of populations. Projects for the Collaborative Trust include evaluation of a leadership development programme, evaluation of a programme for children, service mapping research and research around young people’s perceptions of pornography.
Sue Bagshaw works as a primary care doctor specialising in adolescent/youth health at a one stop community youth health centre for 10-25 year olds, which she helped to set up, under a trust called Korowai Youth Well-being Trust. She is working with others to set up a Youth Hub of services, creativity and transition housing. She is a senior lecturer in adolescent health in the department of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine, and she is an educator with the Collaborative Trust (a research and training centre for youth health and development, which she also helped to set up). She has four adult children and seven mokopuna and despite being born in Hong Kong doesn’t look a bit Chinese.
Janet Spittlehouse (PhD) is a research Fellow with the Christchurch Health and Development Study. Janet has 18 years experience as a quantitative researcher, in both the UK and New Zealand. Janet gained her PhD from the University of Otago in 2017 and her research interests are mental health, wellbeing, LGBQT+ health and well-being, hoarding disorder, depression and personality.