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Dr Amanda Kwong is a paediatric physiotherapist and postdoctoral researcher specialising in digital early‑detection tools for cerebral palsy. She co‑pioneered the internationally used Baby Moves app and advances accessible neurodevelopmental screening. Based at the University of Melbourne, MCRI and the Royal Women’s Hospital, she works to improve outcomes for at‑risk infants.

Dr Amanda Poprzeczny is an obstetrician and maternal‑fetal medicine specialist at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital and a clinical academic at the University of Adelaide. Her research examines how maternal health shapes pregnancy outcomes and preterm birth, focusing on fetal growth restriction and leading clinical trials to improve care for women at risk.

Dr Elyse Passmore is a biomedical engineer and senior researcher at MCRI, specialising in early cerebral palsy detection. She leads AI‑enabled tools such as automated General Movements Assessment and serves as Head Engineer of the RCH Gait Analysis Laboratory, advancing scalable digital health and multisite machine‑learning infrastructure.

Associate Professor Joanne Davidson is a researcher at the University of Auckland studying how perinatal insults such as hypoxia‑ischaemia and infection cause brain injury. She integrates molecular studies with large animal physiology to develop neuroprotective strategies, including pioneering work on connexin‑43 hemichannels. Research is funded by major New Zealand agencies.

Professor Jozef Gecz leads the Neurogenetics Research Program at the University of Adelaide, identifying genes underlying intellectual disability, autism, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. His team has contributed to discovering over 350 disease genes, revealing key pathways in brain development. His current work focuses on interpreting genetic variation using advanced cellular and genomic models.

Professor Nadia Badawi AM is a neonatologist and global leader in cerebral palsy and newborn encephalopathy. As Australia’s first Chair of Cerebral Palsy, she leads the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, driving prevention and treatment advances, major research collaborations and national and international CP registers that have helped reduce cerebral palsy rates.

Dr Robert Galinsky is a fetal physiologist specialising in developmental neuroscience, investigating how perinatal insults disrupt brain development. His team integrates preclinical models, biomedical engineering and biomolecular analyses to identify molecular signatures of injury and discover biomarkers that guide targeted neuroprotective treatments for vulnerable newborns.

Dr Tegan White is a postdoctoral researcher at The Ritchie Centre, Monash University, studying how pregnancy complications affect fetal brain development, particularly fetal growth restriction. Using innovative preclinical models, she investigates therapies to protect and repair the developing brain and has been recognised with national and international awards for her research.

Dr Traci-Anne Goyen is an experienced neonatal occupational therapist at Westmead Hospital and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at The University of Sydney. Her research focuses on improving neurodevelopment in preterm infants, contributing to national guidelines and leading an RCT on preventing neonatal brain injury. She is widely recognised for her clinical and research excellence

Professor Malcolm Battin is a neonatologist at Auckland City Hospital & an Honorary Professor at University of Auckland. He specialises in neonatal neurological injury, with a particular focus on neonatal encephalopathy in term infants. Since 2008, he has served PMMRC Neonatal Encephalopathy Working Group, contributing to national research, clinical guidance & quality improvement in newborn care.