Mercy Perinatal

Mercy Perinatal Welcome to Mercy Perinatal, dedicated to excellence in clinical care, research and education. linktr.ee/mercyperinatal

Mercy Perinatal is an inspiring team of clinicians, researchers, and teachers who share a collective vision to bring mothers and babies- here and around the world- safely home. We will bring them home through leading ground breaking research in preventing stillbirth, in reducing preterm birth and treating pre-eclampsia. We will bring them home by providing accessible, engaging education for maternity providers everywhere. We will bring them home by providing excellence in clinical care; we will hold a candle in the dark and light the way for families who have lost- or risk losing- the fight to bring their babies safely home.

We are delighted to share that Stefan Botha, has been awarded a 2025 Stillbirth CRE PhD Top-Up Scholarship. Stefan is on...
02/09/2025

We are delighted to share that Stefan Botha, has been awarded a 2025 Stillbirth CRE PhD Top-Up Scholarship. Stefan is one of our lovely PhD students within the Mercy Perinatal family under the supervision of Prof Tu'uhevaha Kaitu'u-Lino.

His project, “A global approach to advancing prediction and understanding of placental insufficiency”, aims to uncover the molecular and cellular pathways driving placental dysfunction. Using advanced computational tools, multi-omics methodologies, and in vitro models, Stefan is analysing placental samples from global cohorts.

By identifying novel, non-invasive biomarkers of placental insufficiency, this research seeks to improve early detection of at-risk pregnancies, enabling timely interventions to prevent stillbirth and adverse neonatal outcomes. The ultimate goal is to develop a clinically applicable biomarker panel and/or identify therapeutic targets through integration of molecular and clinical data, paving the way for more personalised antenatal care and improved outcomes for mothers and babies.

Stefan is one of only four recipients of this highly competitive scholarship, which recognises outstanding candidates whose research contributes to stillbirth prevention and better care for bereaved families.

Congratulations Stef, we are so proud of you! 👏

To learn more about The Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, please visit https://www.stillbirthcre.org.au/

Exciting news! Our research team has just published in The Lancet’s with their paper titled: “Reduced circulating NrCAM...
29/08/2025

Exciting news! Our research team has just published in The Lancet’s with their paper titled: “Reduced circulating NrCAM as a biomarker for fetal growth restriction.”

In this study, the team investigated the potential of Neuronal Cell Adhesion Molecule (NrCAM) as a biomarker for fetal growth restriction (FGR), a leading cause of stillbirth that currently lacks effective screening tools.

Congratulations to Dr Lucy Bartho who was the first author on this paper! We are so proud of you!

Access the article here for free:
www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00298-1

26/08/2025

Join us TOMORROW for Cerebral Palsy @ Twilight via Zoom – 18:00 - 20:00 AEST.

Are you ready for our August Twilight? Five speakers, two hours and one huge update. We know! We can't wait either!

Cerebral Palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood, affecting 1:700 of children born in Australia. Events during pregnancy and the newborn period are important contributors, so it seems a perfect Twilight topic for Obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists, GPs, nurses, genetics experts… all of you!

We will be live over Zoom and, of course, recordings will be available the week of… but you have to register!

Twilight is free and always will be. Head to: https://mercyperinatal.com/event/cptwilight or the link in our bio 👆

22/08/2025

The next 🌏 Global Obstetric Journal Club 🌏 is here… and we have a HUGE paper to discuss on Wednesday 10th September 2025, 17:00 AEST/08:00 GMT.

A paper by Callander and Colleagues that dropped in BJOG (BJOG 2025;0:1-11) ignited much-spirited debate.

It concluded standard public maternity care (free in Australia), when compared to private obstetrics care, was associated with a doubling of perinatal deaths, a tripling of 3rd degree tears and a near tripling of postpartum haemorrhage. And to top it off, public care is apparently more expensive to the public purse.

Haven't read the paper yet? Follow the link below.

We recognise the many implications of a paper with such a hot message. So did the press. Some clinicians pounced on the findings, others recoiled

…and some stepped back. Many of you emailed us, asking we even handedly review this paper and provide guidance. Of course we will!! Or at least, we will try.

Want to know more, read the paper and make sure you are ‘in the room’ when we break this paper down. Follow the link here (or in our bio👆 ) to read the paper and register for this session: https://mercyperinatal.com/event/gojc-september

20/08/2025

Consider sharing your journey of pre-, mid- and post-pregnancy, high risk complications or loss with us, and shape the future of research and education.

A few months ago, we formed our Mercy Perinatal Lived Experience (MaPLE) Steering Group. These amazing humans have not only shared their time, ideas and insights with us, but have also begun to share in the creation of research and education for those experiencing pregnancy in our community.

We are now seeking further participants who can assist us on our MaPLE Registry. This community will be called upon to opt-in to providing feedback on research priorities, surveys we have created for the public, form focus groups and more. Time commitment will vary, with opt-in requests sent out to individuals, noting areas of interest as well.

If you have experienced or supported someone through pregnancy, loss, complications or infertility, and would like to support research that will help others, we ask you to sign up via this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W75FGNR (or the link in our bio 👆).

If you have any questions, please reach out here or at mercyperinatal@mercy.com.au

18/08/2025

We are LIVE TOMORROW with the inaugural GLOBAL NEONATAL JOURNAL CLUB!

Via zoom, 18:00 Melbourne AEST / 15:00 Singapore SST we welcome and international panel discussing landmark neonatal papers, and whether or not they should, even immediately, change your clinical practice!

Following the super successful format of Global Obstetric Journal Club, Mercy Perinatal's own Prof. Brett Manley and Dr. Shiraz Badurdeen, and the inimitable Prof. Ju Lee Oei from Mater Brisbane, will host this informative session.

A thorough explanation of the papers under review. Insights directly from the key investigators of the studies. Erudite conversation with our national and international guest panelists. Live Q&A from you, our online audience! What more could you ask for!

We are so grateful to be join by world renowned Prof. Graeme Polglase and the incredible Dr. Kong Juin Yee (Singapore).

Head to the link below to register so you don’t miss out!! https://mercyhealthau.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5I49-2WYSHm2klkp-7BCUw (or head to the link in our bio! 👆)

We would like to congratulate Ahlia Griffiths, one of our Mercy Perinatal Lived Experience (MaPLE) Steering Group Member...
18/08/2025

We would like to congratulate Ahlia Griffiths, one of our Mercy Perinatal Lived Experience (MaPLE) Steering Group Members, who was recently acknowledged at the Australian Consumer Partnership in Research Awards.

Ahlia received the ‘Outstanding Individual Consumer Impact on Health and Medical Research’ Award, and shared in the ‘Excellence in Research Participant Experience’ Award for a project she has taken part in.

We are grateful to Ahlia – and our other lived experience voices – for their time and commitment in helping to bring more mums and bubs home safely.

For more information on what providing lived experience can do, please go to: https://mercyperinatal.com/maple

14/08/2025

We will be casting a spell NEXT WEEK at the Australian Reproduction Update 2025!

From the Woodward Conference Centre, University of Melbourne, we will be sharing a huge variety of super current topics on Day Two, helpful for every scientist, researcher and clinician.

We have almost sold out of seats for this amazing conference. If you are still looking to join us, you must sign up today! Head to: https://mercyperinatal.com/event/aru2025 or the link in our bio 👆

13/08/2025

Announcing Cerebral Palsy @ Twilight – Wednesday 27th August – 18:00-20:00 AEST.

Cerebral Palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood, affecting 1:700 of children born in Australia. Events during pregnancy and the newborn period are important contributors, so it seems a perfect Twilight topic for Obstetricians, midwives, neonatologists, GPs, nurses, genetics experts… all of you!

Please join us for a stellar panel of 5 (!!) speakers. We will be live over Zoom, and of course recordings will be available the week of.

Twilight is free and always will be, but you need to register. Head to: https://mercyperinatal.com/event/cptwilight or the link in our bio 👆

08/08/2025

There’s just one stop left on the map before we head to The Woodward Conference Centre on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th of August. Welcome to our 2025 faculty, Dr. James Cuffe.

In an area that is becoming more and more relevant, James will be providing his pearls of wisdom on ‘Adverse maternal exposures and their impacts on the offspring’.

James is a senior lecturer and head of the placental endocrinology group at the University of Queensland. His research focuses on how environmental and intrinsic factors influence placental function, maternal health, fetal development and offspring disease. His most recent funded research projects have focused on understanding how thyroid dysfunction increases rates of most pregnancy complications and how placental hormones mediate changes to maternal physiology. After completing his PhD in 2012 and first postdoctoral position in 2015, both under the supervision of Professor Karen Moritz at the University of Queensland, he was awarded a fellowship to join Tony Perkins research team at Griffith University. In 2018, he returned to UQ to establish his own group. He has published 82 manuscripts, supervised many fantastic research graduates and been cited almost 3,000 times.

We can’t wait to see you all at ARU. Make sure you have secured your spot (there are limited tickets remaining!). Go to: mercyperinatal.com/event/aru2025 (or check out the link in our bio 👆) to purchase yours today.

07/08/2025

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – GLOBAL NEONATAL JOURNAL CLUB! 👶
We are so thrilled to announce another amazing international venture for our neonatologists, paediatricians, allied health clinicians, neonatal nurses, midwives and even keen obstetricians!

Mercy Perinatal brings you the first Global Neonatal Journal Club.

LIVE via Zoom, we will have an international panel discussing landmark neonatal papers and whether or not they should change your clinical practice… even immediately!

Hosted by Mercy Perinatal’s own Prof. Brett Manley and Dr. Shiraz Badurdeen, and the inimitable Prof. Ju-Lee Oei from Mater Brisbane, the sessions will reflect the successful format of the established Global Obstetrics Journal Club.

A deep explanation of the papers; insights directly from the key investigators of the studies; and then erudite conversation with a superstar, global panel. We are thrilled to welcome world-renowned physiologist Prof. Graeme Polglase and the incredible Dr. Kong Juin Yee from Singapore. Plus, live Q&A with YOU, our online audience. We have you hooked, right?

Registration is free, and always will be, but you need to book your place today at:https://mercyhealthau.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5I49-2WYSHm2klkp-7BCUw (or via the link in our bio 👆)

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