Scientific Advisory Committee
The Scientific Advisory Committee of SIDS and Kids WA provides much needed research and medical expertise and advise on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), miscarriages and still births and conducts research into how these traumatic events can be prevented.
Members
Dr. Adrian Charles
Chairman
Dr Charles is a paediatric and perinatal pathologist based at the Princess Margaret and King Edward Memorial Hospitals, Perth Western Australia. He trained in Medicine at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. After some training in adult medicine and clinical paediatrics, he then trained in anatomical pathology, all at Cambridge. Adrian trained in Paediatric pathology with Professor Jem Berry in Bristol, and then some full time molecular research into Wilms tumours leading to an MD from Cambridge. After a period as a senior lecturer, developing a diagnostic molecular laboratory and helping to organise the undergraduate pathology teaching, Adrian moved to Perth. He has co-supervised a PhD student in the epidemiology of stillbirths awarded this year. Another PhD student has been awarded his PhD with work on caspase 14 in the placenta and another PhD student is completing work on Wilms tumour.
He is one of three trained paediatric/perinatal pathologists in Perth who provide a State wide service. He attends the perinatal loss clinic, and is involved in the state and national activities in perinatal mortality.
Belinda Jennings
Belinda Jennings is a Clinical Midwife Consultant (RN, RM, BSc, MSc) and coordinator of Perinatal Loss Service at Women and Newborn Health Service. This service aims to provide multidisciplinary comprehensive, coordinated and continuing care to women experiencing a pregnancy or Perinatal loss, including palliative care to newborns. There is a strong focus on Maternal and Perinatal outcomes, quality research and education. This position provides a state-wide consultancy service to Western Australia.
Belinda has a primary role in coordinating education initiatives such as IMPROVE and eLearning, and is collaborating on several national research projects supported by NHMRC and SBFA, both quantitative and qualitative. Belinda is a past ISA board member and a current member of the Research and Education subcommittees of ISA. She is an ANZSA Board and Clinical Practice and Education subcommittee member.
Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Scurlock, OAM.
Jackie is a General Paediatrician and an Emeritus Consultant for the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. From 1977 she has been in private paediatric practice covering a number of neonatal units in Perth. Jackie has also been the Sessional Consultant for both General Paediatrics and the Neonatal Unit at PMH and since 1984, she has been travelling to Esperance every three months to consult in general paediatrics. Jackie is currently consulting in General Paediatrics in Subiaco and occasionally at the Mercy Hospital Mount Lawley.
Jackie has been a member of the SIDS and Kids WA Scientific Advisory Committee since 1982 and was the Chairperson of the Committee from 1991 – 2009. She has also been the Western Australian representative on the SIDS and Kids National Scientific Advisory Group since 2007.
Jenny Bourke
Jenny completed her Masters of Public Health (UWA) in 2002 and her dissertation topic was on infant mortality associated with birth defects, supervised by Carol Bower. She then began working at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research on the establishment of a population-based database on intellectual disability in WA.
Jenny is now Manager of the IDEA (Intellectual Disability Exploring Answers) Database, which is held at the Institute and provides an infrastructure for linked data research. Jenny is involved in a number of studies at the Institute including an investigation into trends in autism in WA, the Down Syndrome Needs, Opinions, Wishes study, transition experiences from school to adulthood, patterns of hospitalisation for young people with intellectual disability and infant and childhood mortality associated with birth defects. She has presented at a number of national and international conferences on topics related to the epidemiology of intellectual disability.
Professor Max Bulsara
Prof. Max Bulsara has a BSc Mathematics (Hons Statistics) from the University of Kent, UK (1979), a MSc Statistics from the University of Kent (1981), and a PhD (with Distinction) in Biostatistics/Epidemiology from the University of Western Australia (2008). He is the chair in Biostatistics at University of Notre Dame, and adjunct professor at School of Population Health, at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and visiting professor at University College London. Prof. Bulsara has been involved in epidemiological studies for over two decades both nationally and Internationally.
He is frequently asked to review journal articles for national and international medical journals, as well as review research grants from NHMRC and Cancer Council. Professor Max Bulsara has been invited by NHMRC to be a member of their Grant Review Panel and the Research Translation Faculty. He is on the Editorial Board of the BMC Public Health Journal, BMC Medical Research Methodology Journal, BMC Proceedings Journal and Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group.
Maxine Croft
Maxine Croft is an Assistant Professor in the School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute for Child Health Research (ICHR). In her current role at the University of Western Australia, Maxine is conducting research into risk factors for poor perinatal outcomes (including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). In addition to her work at UWA Maxine’s career has included periods in State and Federal public service, commercial market research and she is the director of a consultancy company.
A/Prof. Jane Fremantle
Associate Professor Jane Freemantle’s main career focus is as a paediatric epidemiologist with a focus on working with Aboriginal children and communities. Her PhD research at the University of Western Australia developed a mortality profile, describing infant and childhood deaths in WA from 1980-1998 inclusive using linked population data which she has subsequently extended to include deaths to the end of 2002. Her post-doctoral research reported on the association between previous hospitalization and mortality for the WA cohort.
Jane is currently funded by the ARC to develop a mortality profile of Victoria's Aboriginal (and non-Aboriginal) children 1998-2008 using an innovative method and research process.
Dr. Jodi White
Jodi is presently employed as a full-time Forensic Pathologist for the State Forensic Pathology Service at PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA. She completed her medical degree at the University of Western Australia in 1995 and completed anatomical pathology and gained Fellowship with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia in 2003. Jodi Initially worked as a Anatomical Pathologist for the Women and Children’s Health Service until 2005 following which she commenced work in her current position at the Forensic Pathology Department of Western Australia. Jodi has long held an interest in sudden and unexpected death in infancy and childhood and is dedicated to finding answers in this field of research.
Kirsten Alpers
With a background in computer programming, Kirsten is currently employed full-time at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in the areas of project and database management. Since 2007, this work has included management of mortality datasets for WA born infants and children.
Dr. Jean du Plessis
Dr. Du Plessis is a Neonatologist at Kaleeya and Princess Margaret Hospitals. He obtained his primary degree in South Africa. After moving to Perth, he completed his Paediatric training, sub specialising in neonatal medicine. He was awarded a twelve month cardiology Fellowship and has completed a research Masters degree in Health Professional Education through UWA.
He sees his role in the SAC as a link between tertiary level neonates, community neonates and how to ensure continuity and education in the prevention of SIDS.
Monnia Volpi-Wise
Manager of Prevention Services SIDS and Kids WA
Monnia Volpi-Wise is the Senior Education Officer for SIDS and Kids WA. Monnia graduated as a registered nurse in 1992 and as a midwife in 1995 from the University of Western Sydney, NSW. She proceeded to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Neonatal Critical Care which led her to specialise as a Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse and move to Perth. A passion towards education led her to complete a Masters in Health Science Education from the University of Sydney, NSW and held in 2004 – 2007 the position of Lecturer and Coordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery at Edith Cowan University, WA. Monnia is also an Emergency Childbirth Educator for the St. Johns Ambulance Service, co-author of “Midwifery: preparation for practice’ and author of the WA Health and SIDS and Kids WA Safe Sleeping e-learning package.