Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy received a grant to fund her project focusing on better early detection of childhood neurodevelopmental differences using mid-pregnancy biomarkers and infant behaviours
more
![]() ![]()
2022
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2017
Equipment Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2017
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2015
Equipment Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2015
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2013
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2011
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2009
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2009
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2008
Project Grant
|
![]() ![]()
2004
Fellowship
|
My research interests focus on asthma in pregnant women. My research is trialling new approaches to the management and treatment of asthma during pregnancy, with a focus on reducing the rate of asthma exacerbations in pregnancy, and improving health outcomes for the baby. I am also interested in the long term impacts of novel approaches to asthma management in pregnancy and, in particular, whether adjusting treatment based on lung inflammation is an effective prevention strategy for asthma in childhood.
I have had asthma myself for as long as I can remember, and I have developed a passion for conducting research during pregnancy. This is such a pivotal time of life both for mothers and for their children, as events in pregnancy can have life-long consequences. As a mother myself, I am driven to understand how events in early life can shape lifelong health.
My goal is for my research to provide the evidence that is needed to change clinical practice, and ultimately to improve the health of pregnant women with asthma, and their babies, so that fewer children develop asthma in childhood.
Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy is a research scientist investigating the characteristics, mechanisms and consequences of asthma exacerbations during pregnancy and their health impact on both mother and baby.
Associate Professor Murphy’s research identified that active asthma management which lowers the exacerbation rate in pregnancy may also improve infant outcomes such as bronchiolitis. She is currently conducting a large multi-centre clinical trial to determine the effect of using lung inflammation to guide treatment decisions on perinatal and infant health. This trial has the potential to change clinical practice, and to demonstrate a primary prevention strategy for childhood asthma, among a group of high risk infants. Associate Professor Murphy has worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) since 2004.
She has a strong publication record in high quality international journals, in both the Respiratory and Obstetric fields, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications, and total grant earnings over $4.5 million. She collaborates across several disciplines including paediatrics, neonatology, midwifery, psychology and basic sciences. She has an emerging international reputation in her field, having been invited to speak at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Amsterdam in 2011.
In 2012, she was appointed a member of the Asthma and Pregnancy Working Group by the National Asthma Council for the production of the Australian Asthma Handbook. In 2014, she received three invitations to speak, at the Westmead International Update on Advances in Perinatal Care, the Hunter Postgraduate Medical Institute Weekend and at the Newcastle Asthma Meeting.
In 2013 she won an Achievement in Research Award from the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation, and in 2014 had a publication recognised as the best original research paper published in Respirology. She has been collaborating with the world leader in the field of asthma during pregnancy (Professor Michael Schatz) since 2007, and this has resulted in 6 publications to date, including a co-authored invited review.
Her research is informing practice by its inclusion in information papers and guideline documents, such as “Asthma and Healthy Living: An information paper for health professionals” (2013, National Asthma Council of Australia, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing) and the Australian Asthma Handbook (2014), where 9 of her publications were cited in the section on pregnancy (asthma advice, asthma care and flare-ups).
Her career goal is to become an independent, internationally recognised research scientist investigating asthma in pregnancy and its impact on children’s health and to conduct research which will change clinical practice, and reduce the rate of asthma in childhood.
My future focus is to determine whether interventions which improve asthma during pregnancy can result in fewer children developing asthma.
Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy
Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy received a grant to fund her project focusing on better early detection of childhood neurodevelopmental differences using mid-pregnancy biomarkers and infant behaviours
moreDr Vanessa Murphy
Management of asthma during pregnancy, early life nutrition and offspring respiratory outcomes at age 3
Co-funded with the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre Grow Up Well
moreThese items will be used jointly by the named investigators to expand current collaborative work in the areas of early child development, impact of maternal chronic illness on early child outcomes and neurodevelopmental disability.
moreCurrently infants from the BLT cohort will be followed-up at birth, 6 weeks of age and 12 months of age.
moreDr Vanessa Murphy, Peter Gibson, Michael Hensley, Joerg Mattes
Clinical trial renamed to "The Breathing for Life Trial (BLT): A randomised trial of fractional exhaled nitric oxide based management of asthma during pregnancy and its impact on perinatal outcomes and infant and childhood respiratory health."
moreProfessor Joerg Mattes, Professor Peter Gibson, Professor M.Hensley, Associate Professor B.Whitehead, Dr Vanessa Murphy
Asthma prevelance has increased in many western countries over recent decades. Currently, 1 in 6 children in Australia are affected by the disease. Over this time, obesity rates have also increased, and obesity now effects around 10% of Australian children.
more