WIRF Staff Profiles
Head of Units and Position Holders
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Winthrop Professor John Newnham Professor Newnham is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. He has research interests in the areas of fetal medicine, prevention of pre-term birth, fetal inflammation and maturation, and the developmental origins of childhood and adult diseases. |
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Professor Dorota Doherty A/Professor Doherty heads up the Biostatistics and Research Design Unit at WIRF. The role of the Unit is to provide biostatistical consultation and collaboration in the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation and reporting of research conducted at King Edward Memorial Hospital and affiliated institutions. She provides a crucial coordination and oversight role for most of the research projects undertaken at the Foundation. |
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Winthrop Professor Brendan Waddell
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Professor Jeff Keelan Professor Keelan is director of the Women and Infants Research Laboratories. His research is focused on the formation and function of the placenta and its role in normal and complicated pregnancies. He has expertise in placental pharmacology, endocrinology, immunology and cell biology. Since his arrival in 2007 from Auckland, New Zealand, he has overseen the installation and inauguration of new cell and tissue culture facilities, the expansion of the laboratory's image analysis facilities, and the recruitment of Honours and PhD students to the laboratories. |
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Assistant Research Professor Matthew Kemp Matt’s biomedical research interests fall within the fields of obstetrics and reproductive medicine, with a specific focus on the infectious – inflammatory origins of preterm birth. Matt is presently developing a novel area of fetal biology centred about the role played by the fetal skin in preterm birth and neonatal disease. Matt presently supervises two PhD students and is himself completing a second PhD (Graduate School of Education, UWA) studying the environmental, a priori and social factors responsible for the construction of the postgraduate biomedical learning environment. |
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Associate Professor Dr Craig Pennell Dr Pennell's research interests are in the areas of fetal medicine, intrauterine fetal therapy, genetic prediction of pregnancy complications, developmental origins of health and disease and mechanisms of perinatal brain injury. He has close affiliations with the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto, where he carried out his postdoctoral studies, and the World Health Organisation through his involvement in the International Preterm Birth Genomic Project. He is also Scientific Director of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine Study) Dr Pennell divides his time between doing research for the Foundation, practising as an Obstetrician at King Edward Memorial Hospital and postgraduate teaching at the School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia. |
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Mr Shaofu Li BSc Beijing Women and Infants Research Foundation - Laboratory Manager and Research Associate Shaofu manages the laboratory and routine operations. He also assists in the supervising and teaching of research students. As a research associate Shaofu studies the effects of prenatal steroid administration. |
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Tina Williams Tina joined our team in January 2009. She brings experience in the not for profit sector, in both health and community organisations. Her skills and experience include marketing & PR, fundraising and sponsorships, media, business development and events management. She has a Diploma in Business and Finance and Graduate Diploma in Marketing and holds professional memberships with FIA (Fundraising Institute of Australia) & AMI (Australian Marketing Institute). |
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Andrea Cole Andrea commenced in 2003 as the Accountant and is responsible for managing all financial aspects of the Foundation. Andrea has had 20 years of accountancy, administration and HR experience working in a variety of commercial organisations. |
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Christine Spencer Chris has been with the Foundation since 1999 and wears a number of hats. As well as being our administrative assistant she is also the volunteer coordinator, office manager, secretary, receptionist and events organiser. Thankfully Chris enjoys variety in her work at WIRF. |
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Annemarie Weekes Annemarie joined WIRF in 2000. She runs the busy WIRF Café and Gift Shop located at King Edward Memorial Hospital. Annemarie manages a large team of over seventy volunteers and staff providing delicious food and drinks seven days a week. She also provides special catering for functions within the hospital and externally. |
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Julie Rutgers Julie started at the Foundation in 2003 as the WIRF hospital baby photographer, since then she has taken 1000’s of photos of beautiful newborns and their families. Using her magic touch she positions newborns perfectly to capture that amazing ‘first photo’ image. View our gallery to see Julie's stunning photos. |
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Claire Williams I started working for the Foundation in May 2006 as a Bookkeeper on a part time basis, having completed a Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Accounting in the 1990's. I had previously worked for an assortment of different companies including for example, Pharmacies, Mining Companies, Listed corporations and Insurance Brokers, so having the chance to work in a completely different field of research into women and infant health, presented a welcome change. |