The HMRI Pregnancy and Reproduction program brings together researchers focussed on understanding the environmental and biological processes that affect fertility, reproduction, pregnancy and birth.
With 1 in 6 couples in Australia being infertile, and 1 in 3 women aged over 35 years of age having fertility problems, research into pregnancy and reproduction has never been more in demand. More than 1 per cent of babies are born as a result of assisted reproduction in Australia and this marks a new generation of children who are the product of successful scientific technologies. (Source - ABC Health & Wellbeing Infertility Fact File)
The HMRI Pregnancy and Reproduction program brings together researchers focussed on understanding the environmental and biological processes that affect fertility, reproduction, pregnancy and birth.
Combining two of the world’s most elite reproductive biologists, Laureate Professor John Aitken and Professor Roger Smith AM, the HMRI Pregnancy and Reproduction research group in partnership with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science is a world class research program, uniting expert researchers from across the globe who specialise in researching fertility and embryo development right through to pregnancy and birth.
Researchers in the HMRI Pregnancy and Reproduction research group specialise in all aspects of reproductive health. From how bacteria, chemicals and genetics can all affect fertility through to developing new commercial methods of contraception, including a form that aims to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Researchers in this group are the world’s best at investigating and improving fertility; even registering several patents including a novel method of separating sperm for IVF procedures which improves the chance of successful fertilisation and implantation.
Once conceived, the early life health of a baby, including during pregnancy, is known to influence their health outcomes and risk for disease later in life. A baby born with low birth weight (a surrogate marker for intrauterine health) may have an increased risk for adult diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and kidney failure later in life. In fact, babies who have low weight at birth are at greater risk of dying during the first year of life (Source - Department of Health), highlighting that research into pregnancy and the health of the baby is just as important as the reproductive health of the parents. Indeed, promoting ‘a healthy start to life’ is now one of the Australian Government’s most important National Research Priorities.
The HMRI Pregnancy and Reproduction program researches the whole spectrum of reproductive health including:
Type 1 Diabetes is associated with a significant, on-going health care burden for the individual and the community. While insulin pump therapy will tailor the insulin dose and delivery accordingly, insulin dosing for carbohydrate, fat and protein is significantly more complicated than determining the insulin dose for carbohydrate alone.
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Globally, nearly 1% of all pregnancies end in stillbirth (3 million each year). The magnitude and gravity of stillbirth is such that in 2011 an entire Lancet series was devoted to it and urged a strong call to action, concluding that greater knowledge of causes is a key health priority. In Australia, stillbirth accounts for around 70% of all perinatal deaths (7 deaths per day) and is nearly 40 times more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Existing knowledge has had no impact on reducing the stillbirth rate, and a 2013 BMJ review of the UK data on stillbirth concluded ""preventive strategies need to focus on improving antenatal detection."
moreBruce King, Graham Goodwin
Funding to support the Gomeroi gaaynggal Community ArtsHealth running in Tamworth - covers art consumables which brings participants into the centre to participate in health screening and research being conducted.
moreA/Prof Bruce King
Patrick Oakley
The New South Wales tablelands are a known region to have low environmental iodine in soil. This is similar to other regions around the world such as the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea. This is known to impact the food grown locally. The introduction of iodised salt into diets has assisted in reducing the impact. However, modern diets with a reliance on processed foods that are not required to use iodised salt, has left "modern diets" deficient in iodine.
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Laureate Professor Roger Smith AM, Mrs Lee Dedman
Travel funding to Wellington NZ to learn 3D animation 13/4/2018-25/4/2018
moreBruce King, Graham Goodwin
Funding to support the Gomeroi gaaynggal Community ArtsHealth running in Tamworth - covers art consumables which brings participants into the centre to participate in health screening and research being conducted.
moreGlobally, nearly 1% of all pregnancies end in stillbirth (3 million each year). The magnitude and gravity of stillbirth is such that in 2011 an entire Lancet series was devoted to it and urged a strong call to action, concluding that greater knowledge of causes is a key health priority. In Australia, stillbirth accounts for around 70% of all perinatal deaths (7 deaths per day) and is nearly 40 times more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Existing knowledge has had no impact on reducing the stillbirth rate, and a 2013 BMJ review of the UK data on stillbirth concluded ""preventive strategies need to focus on improving antenatal detection."
moreA/Prof Bruce King
Dr Elizabeth Bromfield, Prof Brett Nixon
Infertility has become a critical worldwide health burden, with 1 in 6 couples currently seeking the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Australia. However, the consequences of infertility go beyond childlessness with the failure to conceive now documented as a leading cause of marital violence, psychological abuse, and economic instability. With an estimated 80 million individuals experiencing the weight of this problem globally there is an overwhelming need for novel preventative strategies that will safeguard the fertility of current and future generations.
moreA/Prof Kym Rae, Dr Beth Mah, Prof Deb Loxton
The Problem: In a recent study by CI Rae and Mah, the mental health of a cohort of Indigenous women during pregnancy showed extremely high rates of depression and anxiety in participants, with 31% of the cohort reporting evidence of these symptoms at least one visit during their pregnancy. Factors that enhance susceptibility to stress include personality traits, early life experiences and resilience.
moreMs Jacinta Martin
The purpose of my proposed travel is primarily to attend the international conference and early career seminar series entitled ‘The Gordon Research Conference of Mammalian Fertilisation’ to be held on the 28th July to the 3rd of August 2018 in Tuscany, Italy.
moreMs Bettina Mihalas
The primary purpose for which the funds would be used is to attend a developmental biology technical course and seminar series at the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory (CSHL) held each June at Cold Spring Harbour, New York in the United States.
moreThis proposal seeks funding to establish a Targeted Nanoparticle Development Facility within the Hunter Medical Research Institute. We also seek funding for a post-doctoral scientist who will use the technology to develop novel diagnostics that will identify cancer metastases from thyroid and ovarian cancers, locate other endocrine cancers and importantly develop new ways of treating ovarian and thyroid cancer through improved delivery of existing chemotherapy drugs.
moreConjoint A/Prof Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the fastest growing chronic disease affecting Australian children. T1D is a lifelong condition where the body is not able to produce insulin which controls blood glucose. People with T1D must follow a strict daily regime of blood glucose testing, insulin administration and careful dietary management to control their blood glucose levels. Good blood glucose control is critically important in preventing life- threatening complications of diabetes.
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Gomeroi gaaynggal (GG) a research and ArtsHealth program based in Tamworth & Walgett, is working to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal women and their children. In particular, 26% of their clients have evidence of underlying kidney disease.
moreEquipment for use in the lab
moreBruce King, Graham Goodwin
Funding to support the Gomeroi gaaynggal Community ArtsHealth running in Tamworth - covers art consumables which brings participants into the centre to participate in health screening and research being conducted.
moreA/Prof Bruce King
Dr Carmel Smart, Associate Professor Bruce King
A common challenge for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is controlling significant elevations of blood glucose following meals [1]. This is of concern as postprandial hyperglycaemia has been identified as an important risk factor in the development of long-term complications of T1D including cardiovascular disease [2].
moreDr Carmel Smart, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Prudence Lopez
Associate Professor Bruce King
The ‘Gomeroi Gayaanggal’ Project to provide a holistic approach to social and emotional wellbeing within the Indigenous communities of Tamworth and Walgett, and will add Taree and Forster in Stage 2.
moreDr Elizabeth Bromfield, Professor Brett Nixon, Laureate Professor John Aitken
Male infertility is a distressingly common condition affecting at least 1 in 20 men of reproductive age. In a vast majority of infertile patients (>80%), sufficient numbers of spermatozoa are produced to achieve fertilisation, however the functionality of these cells has become compromised, making defective sperm function the largest single defined cause of human infertility.
morePremature birth is the most common reason for a newborn baby to die. Unfortunately, current treatments for premature birth are not very effective. We have developed a mechanism for targeting the delivery of drugs to the uterine tissue, which we believe can be used to prevent or block preterm labour.
moreBinod Bindu Sharma, Laureate Professor Roger Smith, Professor Deborah Loxton
Background: Pregnancy is a precious event offering a human value to the biosphere. It is special to every woman and societal unit. Women suffer in comparison with men over a wide spectrum of human activity. The health situation of women in Nepal is poor. Maternal mortality in Nepal is among the highest in Asia (over 190/100,000 live births) and one of the worst ten in the world (WHO 2015).
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Bettina Mihalas, Professor Brett Nixon, Professor Eileen McLaughlin
1 in 6 couples in Australia require assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to conceive, with approximately 50% of these cases resulting from female infertility. This places a large emotional strain on couples trying to conceive and a large financial burden on the Australian heath care system.
moreDr Geoffry De Iuliis
Despite the prevalence of male infertility (with 1 in 20 men currently suffering) we still know relatively little about the underlying origins of many sperm defects.
moreJacinta Martin
More than 57,000 Australian women were diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2015. But there is the unavoidable secondary impact on fertility for those women, a potentially devastating legacy of their treatment following entry into disease remission.
moreCaitlin Chambers
Acrylamide is a known neurotoxin in humans, and is classified by the World Health Organisation as a probable human carcinogen.
moreSarah Delforce
Sarah’s research aims to improve the understanding of normal placenta development, and what might be going wrong in women who go on to develop pregnancy complications.
moreDr Jessie Sutherland is an outstanding and passionate early career resesrcher in HMRI's Reprodcution Program. Jessie will use her Equal Futures award to attend Australia's most highly attendned women's leadership program - the National Excellence in Educational Leadership Initiative's 2017 Advanced Leadership Program.
moreKirsty will use The Equal Futures funding to attend the 2016 National Higher Education Women Leadership Summit in Melbourne 2016.
morePremature ovarian failure (POF) is the early loss of ovarian function before age 40.
moreAssociate Professor Bruce King
Dr Gemma Masden, Dr Sharyn Rayner
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death and sickness and so the prevention of preterm labour is one of the major goals in obstetrics.
moreProfessor Chris Doran, Dr Rod Ling
Suicidal behaviour has gained recognition worldwide as a significant public health problem.
morePreterm birth continues to be a major health problem throughout the world.
moreThe charitable purpose of this grant is to deliver liposomes, coated with an antibody that recognizes the oxytocin receptor (OTR), directly to the muscle of the uterus.
morePremature birth is the most common reason for a newborn baby to die. Unfortunately, current treatments for premature birth are not very effective.
moreMs Megan Patterson, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart, Dr Prudence Lopez
Funding to support the Gomeroi gaaynggal Community ArtsHealth running in Tamworth - covers art consumables which brings participants into the centre to participate in health screening and research being conducted.
moreGlobally, nearly 1% of all pregnancies end in stillbirth (3 million each year). The magnitude and gravity of stillbirth is such that in 2011 an entire Lancet series was devoted to it and urged a strong call to action, concluding that greater knowledge of causes is a key health priority. In Australia, stillbirth accounts for around 70% of all perinatal deaths (7 deaths per day) and is nearly 40 times more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Existing knowledge has had no impact on reducing the stillbirth rate, and a 2013 BMJ review of the UK data on stillbirth concluded "preventive strategies need to focus on improving antenatal detection".
moreAssociate Professor Bruce King
Dr Prudence Lopez, Bruce King, Carmel Smart
Ms Kate Redgrove, Professor Eileen McLaughlin
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted disease in Australia and worldwide, where it is estimated that more than 100 million new cases are reported annually.
moreDr Hannah Palliser, Associate Professor Jon Hirst
There is growing evidence suggesting a link between a mother’s stress during pregnancy and anxiety, learning and behavioural problems in the child.
moreThe research team has developed a mechanism for targeting the delivery of drugs to the uterine muscle which they believe will prevent or block preterm labour.
moreFunding to support the Gomeroi gaaynggal Community ArtsHealth running in Tamworth - covers art consumables which brings participants into the centre to participate in health screening and research being conducted.
moreGlobally, nearly 1% of all pregnancies end in stillbirth (3 million each year). The magnitude and gravity of stillbirth is such that in 2011 an entire Lancet series was devoted to it and urged a strong call to action, concluding that greater knowledge of causes is a key health priority. In Australia, stillbirth accounts for around 70% of all perinatal deaths (7 deaths per day) and is nearly 40 times more common than Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Existing knowledge has had no impact on reducing the stillbirth rate, and a 2013 BMJ review of the UK data on stillbirth concluded "preventive strategies need to focus on improving antenatal detection".
moreMs Megan Paterson, Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Carmel Smart, Dr Prudence Lopez
American Diabetes Association in June in San Francisco
moreDr Carmel Smart, Bruce King
Associate Professor Bruce King, Dr Prudence Lopez and Dr Carmel Smart
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic disease which places a significant burden of management on patients and their families.
moreDr Kate Redgrove, Dr Janet Holt, Professor Eileen, McLaughlin, Associate Professor Brett Nixon
Dr Redgrove’s successful PhD project focused on developing an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underpin the functional maturation of human spermatozoa.
morePredicting future renal and cardiovascular health in pregnant Indigenous Australian women
morePregnant women are much more susceptible to viral infections.
moreProfessor Eileen McLaughlin, Brett Nixon, Adam McCluskey
Associate Professor Adam Buckmaster, Ian Wright
Ms Rebecca Dyson
John Fitter
Dr Bruce King, Carmel Smart, Patricia Crock, Don Anderson
Associate Professor Bruce King
Dr Bruce King, Dr Prudence Lopez
Professor Eileen McLaughlin, Brett Nixon
Dr Mark Baker, Professor Adam McCluskey
Professor Keith Jones, E McLaughlin
Dr Ian Wright
Dr Ian Wright
Dr John Fitter
Dr Brett Nixon, Dr Eileen McLaughlin
Professor Roger Smith, Dr K.M Rae, Professor P.D Jones
Dr John Fitter
Professor Patricia Crock
Professor Eugenie Lumbers, Professor Tamas Zakar
Dr Eileen McLaughlin
Dr Jonathon Hirst, Associate Professor Vicki Clifton
Dr Ian Wright, Dr VL Clifton
Professor Roger Smith, Jorge Telosa
Dr Ian Wright
Professor Patricia Crock
Dr Eng-Cheng Chan
Dr John Fitter
Associate Professor Shane Carney
Professor Diana Keatinge, Dr C Fowler
Dr Richard Nicholson, Dr BR King
Professor Roger Smith, Professor Warwick Giles, Dr Andrew Gill
Professor Roger Smith, Dr Rick Nicholason, Dr Bruce King
Dr Tamas Zaka, Dr IMR Wright
Dr G Anderson, Sr E Nunn
Dr Roger Smith, Dr Mick Hunter
Ms Sabrina Pitt
Dr Eileen McLaughlin, Professor John Aitken
Dr Ian Wright, Professor W Giles
Dr Karen Drysdale, Mr W Levick
Dr Karen Drysdale, Mr W Levick
Dr Eileen McLaughlin, Professor John Aitken
Dr Tamas Zakar, Dr Vicki Clifton
Professor Warwick Giles
Vicki Clifton
