Hybrid Event | SA Preterm and Early Term Birth Prevention Symposium

Lineup

• More details about Belinda Nitschke

  Belinda Nitschke

  Belinda Nitschke is an accomplished midwife with over a decade of clinical practice and experience working alongside women with complex social and health needs. As Project Manager for the South Australian Preterm and Early Term Birth Prevention Project, Bel has provided strategic leadership for state-wide implementation of key evidence-based strategies to reduce early birth. Nationally, she plays a pivotal role on the Australian Preterm and Early Term Birth Prevention Program project team, contributing to the design and coordination of system-wide approaches to maternity care improvement. Bel is a valued contributor to the South Australian Perinatal Practice Guidelines, actively involved in authoring and facilitating the development and implementation of clinical guidance.

• More details about Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the Hon Blair Boyer MP

  Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the Hon Blair Boyer MP

  Blair lives in the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide with his wife and three daughters. He grew up on the family farm, just across the border not far from Mount Gambier. He was elected to represent the State electorate of Wright in 2018 and was appointed Minister for Education Training and Skills in March 2022 and Minister for Police in September 2025, and the Minister for Health and Wellbeing in March 2026. The focus of Blair’s work in government has been education, training and skills, child protection, and emergency services.

• More details about Professor John Newnham

  Professor John Newnham

  Professor John Newnham is an obstetrician and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist working at The University of Western Australia and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth. He is the inaugural Chair of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance. Recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities in the prevention of preterm birth, John’s 35+ year contribution to the field of obstetrics has positively impacted and saved the lives of countless women and infants. John’s enduring research interest had been to discover strategies to safely reduce the rate of preterm birth and he has published widely on this subject. His studies have spanned the spectrum from laboratory bench through to randomised controlled trials. John was awarded an Order of Australia in the general division in 2014 and was named the 2020 Senior Australian of the Year.

• More details about Dr Amanda Poprzeczny

  Dr Amanda Poprzeczny

  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. She is interested in how maternal health before and during pregnancy impacts pregnancy outcomes and preterm birth. Dr Poprzeczny is a passionate and committed advocate of evidence based medicine, and is particularly interested in ensuring that clinical research is rigorously appraised and appropriately translated into clinical practice. She works in perinatal clinical trials that answer important day to day questions in clinical practice, to ensure risks and benefits of interventions are rigorously appraised and appropriately implemented. Dr Poprzeczny is chief investigator on multiple category 1 grants, investigating the impact of interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes for women with overweight or obesity prior to pregnancy and optimising interventions for women at risk of preterm birth.

• More details about Rebecca Smith

  Rebecca Smith

  Rebecca is a midwife and nurse with more than 30 years of experience across Adelaide and the United Kingdom. She has worked extensively in clinical care, education, research, project delivery, statewide guidelines and policy development, and health service management. As Advanced Midwifery Lead for Statewide Perinatal Partnerships, she leads system-wide initiatives and fosters collaboration to advance evidence-based practice and strengthen maternity care strategies. Bec has played a critical role in the successful implementation of the national Preterm and Early Term Birth Prevention Program in SA, providing strategic leadership in project planning and oversight. She also represents SA on several national committees focused on maternity care and women’s health.

• More details about Cathy Leane

  Cathy Leane

  Cathy Leane is a Dharug woman, mother and grandmother. She has 30+ years of experience working within health and early childhood services. Her work with Aboriginal consumers and research partners has a strong focus on co-design. Cathy contributes to Aboriginal community research through chairing several Aboriginal research governance groups, including Aboriginal Families Study and as co-chair of the Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance, to ensure that the voice of Aboriginal families and communities is privileged. She understands the interplay of the social determinants of health in shaping life outcomes and is passionate about the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and communities.

• More details about Clara Baker

  Clara Baker

  Clara Baker is a proud Ramindjeri-Ngarrindjeri and Narungga woman. She has over 18+ years in Health working and living on Country, delivering services directly to communities. Clara has an extensive background in Sexual Health and is committed to strengthening health and wellbeing across communities through culturally informed, person centred, and evidence-based approaches. With a strong focus on improving access, equity, and collaboration, Clara works to empower individuals, families, and communities to achieve better health outcomes for the next generation.

• More details about Dr Karen Best

  Dr Karen Best

  Dr Karen Best is a Principal Research Fellow at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and Lead of Pregnancy and Newborn Health at SAHMRI Women and Kids. A Midwife with deep expertise in perinatal research, dedicated to understanding the essential role of modifiable exposures in pregnancy and early life in setting the foundations for lifelong health. Dr Best led the ORIP Trial, the world’s largest RCT of omega-3 supplementation in pregnancy to reduce preterm birth, providing definitive evidence for omega-3 supplementation in pregnancy and paving the way for global clinical translation. Her work has directly influenced key policy documents, including the 2021 Australian Pregnancy Care Guidelines and the 2022 ISSFAL Guidelines on Omega-3 and Preterm Birth Prevention. Building on the success of ORIP, Dr Best now leads the world’s first Omega-3 Test-and-Treat Program, supported by a $1.66 million MRFF grant. In partnership with SA Pathology, the program delivers a precision nutrition approach, testing omega-3 levels in early pregnancy and providing supplementation guidance based on individual status.

• More details about Associate Professor Ecushla Linedale

  Associate Professor Ecushla Linedale

  Associate Professor Ecushla Linedale is the Director of Implementation and Translation, Omega 3 Program with SAHMRI Women and Kids. In this role she is leading the national scale-up of the Omega-3 Test and Treat Program, ensuring all pregnant women in Australia have access to a proven intervention to reduce preterm birth. In her previous role as Deputy Executive Director of Health Translation SA, Ecushla played a key role in strengthening South Australia’s research translation ecosystem, embedding evidence into healthcare policy and practice. Ecushla has a PhD in Medicine (The University of Adelaide) and broad experience in basic science, health services and implementation research. She is passionate about building effective cross-sector partnerships to develop solutions and strategies that improve people's health and wellbeing. Her career has been dedicated to bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, leading projects that have reshaped models of care, influenced national policy, and improved patient outcomes.