research

Professor Melissa Wake

contact details

  Professor Melissa Wake Melissa Wake
  Centre for Community Child Health
  Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
  Royal Children's Hospital
  Flemington Road
  Parkville Victoria 3052

  T +61 3 9345 5761
  E melissa.wake@rch.org.au

biography

Melissa heads Murdoch Childrens Community Child Health Group, and is a consultant paediatrician, Director of Research and Associate Director of the Royal Children's Hospital Centre for Community Child Health. She heads a team of around 100 researchers focusing on intervention research in primary and secondary care, coupled with service delivery and policy.
Since completing her MD in 1999, Melissa has achieved an exceptional competitive research record and has published around 140 peer-reviewed papers.  In 2008, her work was showcased in the NHMRC's '10 of the Best', celebrating ten exceptional Project Grants each year. During the same year, she was also one of seven recipients of an NHMRC Achievement Award for 'outstanding contribution to the success of research in this country'.  This was followed in 2009 by the Australian Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health & Medical Research, recognising her landmark work to solve common child health problems. 

achievements

2010  Victorian Early Years Award
2009 The Australian Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research
2009-12 NHMRC Population Health Career Development Award (#546405)
2008 NHMRC Excellence Award for 'outstanding contribution to the success of research in this country' (one of 7 awarded nationally)
2008 '10 of the Best' This publication celebrates ten outstanding Project Grants each year, from around 700 funded by the Australian NH&MRC.  For 'Overweight/obesity, activity patterns, and health in 4-year-olds: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children' (NHMRC Project Grant 334308) Wake M (CIA), Bittman M, Sawyer M, Carlin J.
2006 Inaugural Murdoch Childrens Research Institute 'Rising Star' Award for excellence in research achievement.

research focus & interest

Common child health problems need practical solutions to avert their massive future burdens and costs.  Rising to this challenge are our two major streams, Population Paediatrics & translational research and Service Development & Policy, each supported by a team of around 50 researchers (around 100 in total). 
The Population Paediatrics & translational research stream (led by Professor Melissa Wake) seeks sustainable clinical solutions that can be delivered within population systems by primary and secondary care clinicians. Our major areas of work include:

  • Epidemiological studies, including leadership roles in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and other large-scale collaborations. These inform our community-based interventions within Australia's leading community child health randomised trials group.  Focus areas include language and literacy, hearing loss, overweight and obesity, early mental health and sleep.
  • The Australian Paediatric Research Network (led by Associate Professor Harriet Hiscock), which has a unique focus on national health services research and systems.
  • The Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program (led by Drs Zeffie Poulakis and Melinda Barker) - a major success in research translation - is now spring boarding an exciting program of ongoing population-based research into children's congenital hearing loss. Similarly successful state-wide government-funded implementation has followed the group's sleep trials.


The Policy and Service Development stream (led by Ms Mary Sayers) works to support and strengthen community-based professionals and organisations in their work with families, translate and disseminate the research, and inform early childhood policy development. Our five areas of work are:

  • Service System Innovation projects such as large scale program evaluation, and intensive support for communities developing integrated approaches to service delivery.
  • The Australian Early Development Index (led by Dr Sharon Goldfeld) an Australia-wide population measure of young children's development.
  • Translation and Knowledge Exchange projects, such as the award winning Raising Children Network website, Policy Briefs and other publications.
  • Evidence synthesis (led by Dr Tim Moore) projects including major evidence reviews to inform policy and program development.
  • Training and development for the early years sector.

publications

Sawyer MG, Harchak T, Wake M, Lynch J.  Four-year prospective study of BMI and mental health problems in young children. Pediatrics published online 19 Sep 2011 (10.1542/peds.2010-3132).
Bayer JK, Ukoumunne OC, Lucas N, Wake M, Scalzo K, Nicholson JM.  Risk factors for childhood mental health symptoms: National Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.  Pediatrics published online 2 Sep 2011 (10.1542/peds.2011-0491).
Quach J, Hiscock H, Ukoumunne OC, Wake M.  A brief sleep intervention improves outcomes in the school entry year: A randomised controlled trial.  Pediatrics published online 2 Sep 2011 (10.1542/peds.2011-0409).
Wake M, Tobin S, Girolametto L, Ukoumunne O, Gold L, Levickis P, Sheehan J, Goldfeld S, Reilly S.  Outcomes of population-based language promotion for slow-to-talk toddlers at ages 2 and 3 years: The Let's Learn Language cluster randomised controlled trial.  BMJ 2011;343:d4741 doi:10.1136/bmj.d4741.
Accompanying editorial: Boyle J. Speech and language delays in preschool children: Parents need information about the range of development, so they can spot early problems. BMJ 2011;343:d5181 doi: 10.1136/bmj.d5181
Osborne NJ, Koplin JJ, Martin PE, Gurrin LC, Lowe AJ, Matheson MC, Ponsonby A-L, Wake M, Tang MLK, Dharmage SC, Allen KJ.  Prevalence of challenge-proven IgE-mediated food allergy using population-based sampling and predetermined challenge criteria in infants.  Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2011;127(3):668-676.
Goldfeld S, Napiza N, Quach J, Reilly S, Ukoumunne OC, Wake M. Outcomes of a universal infant-toddler shared reading intervention by 2 years of age: The Let's Read trial.  Pediatrics 2011; 127(3):445-453 originally published online 14 Feb 2011 doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-3043 http://pediatricsblog.blogspot.com/
Reilly S, Wake M, Ukoumunne OC, Bavin E, Prior M, Cini E, Conway L, Eadie P, Bretherton L. Predicting language outcomes at 4 years: Longitudinal findings from the Early Language in Victoria Study.  Pediatrics 2010;126(6):e1530-1537 (IF 4.7) (ELVS, CBG)
Patton G, Coffey C, Carlin J, Sawyer S, Williams J, Olsson C, Wake M.  Overweight and obesity between adolescence and young adulthood: a ten-year prospective cohort study.  Journal of Adolescent Health published online 9 Sept 2010 doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.06.019 (IF 9.2) (MPOWR)
Koplin JJ, Osborne NJ, Wake M, Martin PE, Gurrin LC, Robinson MN, Slaa M, Thiele L, Miles L, Anderson D, Tan T, Dang T, Hill DJ, Lowe AJ, Matheson MC, Ponsonby A-L, Tang MLK, Dharmage SC, Allen KJ.  Can early introduction of egg prevent egg allergy in infants?  A population-based study. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2010; 126(4):807-13 (IF 9.2) (Citations 2) (
Evaluated by Faculty of 1000 Post-Publication Peer Review http://f1000.com/6181957

Gerner B, Sanci L, Gold L, Cahill H, McCallum Z, Ukoumunne O, Rogers L, Wake M.  Using simulated patients to develop doctors' skills in facilitating behaviour change: addressing childhood obesity.  Medical Education 2010;44 (7):706-715.
Wake M, Baur L, Gerner B, Gibbons K, Gold L, Gunn J, Levickis P, McCallum Z, Naughton G, Sanci L, Ukoumunne O.  Outcomes and costs of primary care surveillance and intervention for overweight or obese children: the LEAP 2 randomised controlled trial.  BMJ 2009;339(32):b3308 doi:10.1136/bmj.b3308. 
Quach J, Hiscock H, Canterford L, Wake M.  Outcomes of child sleep problems over the school transition period: Australian population longitudinal study.  Pediatrics 2009;123(5):1287-1292.
Reilly S, Onslow M, Packman A, Wake M, Bavin E, Prior M, Eadie P, Cini E, Bolzonello C, Ukoumunne O.  Predicting Stuttering Onset by the Age of 3 Years: A Prospective, Community Cohort Study.  Pediatrics 2009;123 (1):270-277 (IF 4.7) (Citations 3) (ELVS Stuttering)
Selected to feature in:  The Year Book of Pediatrics 2010.  Ed Stockman J.  Mosby, North Carolina, USA. ISBN 978-0-323-06842-0
Olds T, Wake M, Patton G, Ridley K, Waters E, Williams J, Hesketh K.  How Do School-Day Activity Patterns Differ With Age and Gender across Adolescence?  Journal of Adolescent Health 2009;44 (1):64-72  (IF 2.7).
Hiscock H, Bayer JK, Price A, Ukoumunne OC, Rogers S, Wake M.  Universal parenting programme to prevent early child behavioural problems: cluster randomised trial.  BMJ 2008;336;318-321; originally published online 31 Jan 2008 doi:10.1136/bmj.39451.609676.AE.
Hiscock H, Bayer J, Hampton A, Ukoumunne O, Wake M.  Long-term mother and child mental health effects of a population-based infant sleep intervention: Cluster randomized, controlled trial.  Pediatrics 2008;122 (3):e621-e627.
Mitchell R, Wake M, Canterford L, Williams J.  Does maternal concern about children's weight affect children's body size perception at the age of 6.5? - A community-based study.  International Journal of Obesity 2008;32 (6):1001-1007.
Reilly S, Wake M, Bavin E, Prior M, Williams J, Bretherton L, Eadie P, Barrett Y, Ukoumunne OC. Predicting Language at 2 years of age: A prospective community study.  Pediatrics 2007;120 (6):e1441-e1449.
Wake M, Nicholson JM, Hardy P, Smith K. Preschooler obesity and parenting styles of mothers and fathers: Australian National Population Study.  Pediatrics 2007;120 (6):e1520-e1527.
Martin J, Hiscock H, Hardy P, Davey B, Wake M.  Adverse Associations of Infant and Child Sleep Problems and Parent Health: An Australian Population Study.  Pediatrics 2007; 119 (5):947-955.
McCallum Z, Wake M, Gerner B, Baur LA, Gibbons K, Gold L, Gunn J, Harris C, Naughton G, Riess C, Sanci L, Ukoumunne O,  Waters E.  Outcome data from the LEAP (Live, Eat and Play) trial: a randomized controlled trial of a primary care intervention for childhood overweight / mild obesity.  International Journal of Obesity 2007; 31 (4):630-636.
Hiscock H, Canterford L, Ukoumunne OC, Wake M. Adverse associations of sleep problems in Australian preschoolers: National population study. Pediatrics 2007; 119(1):86-93.