RESEARCHER PROFILE
Professor Alice Rumbold (Filmed November 2023)
Perinatal epidemiologist & Co-Theme Leader of
SAHMRI Women and Kids
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute &
Research Leader, Robinson Research Institute
University of Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia
Professor Alice Rumbold is Theme Leader of SAHMRI Women and Kids, managing a multidisciplinary research team focussed on improving health outcomes for women, babies and families. She also holds an affiliate position as a Research Leader within the Robinson Research Institute at the University of Adelaide.
An epidemiologist and health services researcher, she is internationally renowned for her leadership of large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and systematic review activities to improve perinatal and reproductive health care. She is passionate about improving health outcomes for women and babies, particularly those experiencing vulnerability. Her current research interests include preterm birth, breastfeeding, human milk banking and infertility.
She has held continuous NHMRC funding as a CI since 2007, totalling >$21.2m across 13 grants, including a NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. Her research has generated significant publications in top-ranking journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Global Health, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Human Reproduction and American Journal of Epidemiology, including 11 papers with over 100 citations.
Professor Rumbold’s current research is primarily focused on improving breastfeeding outcomes in preterm babies. She runs several clinical trials that aim to improve breastfeeding outcomes in premature babies, a vulnerable group that is known to have difficulties with establishing breastfeeding. Alice’s research tests new interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes in these babies, as breast milk is particularly crucial for their development.
Professor Rumbold finds motivation and inspiration from the families participating in her research. These families often participate while knowing that they may not receive direct benefits from the research. She is also driven by the potential to have lifelong impacts on health and opportunities by improving outcomes in the early months of life.
Apart from research, Professor Rumbold loves music. She enjoys listening to it, playing it, and attending live music events. She is a keen cellist and pianist and was previously involved with the Darwin Symphony Orchestra.
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Enhancing occupational therapy service provision with military veterans
Prof McKinstry was instrumental in the development of the occupational therapy course at the La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus and also the establishment of the Rural Health School.
Prof McKinstry’s research focus is on health workforce, particularly developing a sustainable rural health workforce through recruitment of rural students for health courses, innovative and flexible delivery of health courses, telehealth and emerging areas of practice for occupational therapists.
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Peripheral intravenous catheter management
Dr Grace Xu is a clinician-researcher, senior nurse practitioner, and emerging implementation scientist with more than 16 years of emergency nursing experience. She is a Fellow of the College of Emergency Nurses Australasia and a Centaur Fellow. She also leads the Early Career Researcher/Clinician Researcher portfolio within the Alliance for Vascular Access Teaching and Research group.
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Clinical guidelines for diagnostics and early intervention in Primary Aldosteronism
Primary Aldosteronism (PA), or Conn Syndrome, is the most commonly under-diagnosed cause of high blood pressure affecting millions of people. Associate Professor Jun Yang’s goal is to facilitate the diagnosis of every case of PA and make treatment widely available to all communities including the disadvantaged.
