Neonatal Research
Improving outcomes for our most vulnerable newborn infants
The Neonatal Research group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) is dedicated to improving the treatment and long-term outcomes of critically ill newborns.
Our research team
Our multidisciplinary team includes neonatologists, nurses, scientists, and engineers who are internationally recognised for their expertise in:
- Advanced respiratory therapies
- Neonatal resuscitation
- Neonatal neurology (including neuroimaging and bedside neuro-investigative tools
- Surgical care for congenital conditions
Innovative research techniques
We use a wide range of research techniques; from molecular science and high-fidelity physiological recordings and imaging, to large-scale clinical trials and long-term developmental studies. Many of these techniques were pioneered at MCRI and are not available anywhere else in the world.
Our work deepens our understanding of the fundamental principles relating to critical times in childhood, specifically the transition from fetal to ex-utero life through to long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.
This work has led to new advanced concepts and therapies that have improved the long-term outcomes of our most vulnerable population.
Contact us
Professor David Tingay, Group Leader
Email:
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Group Leaders
Team Leaders
Group Members
Our projects
BLUEPRINT Study
The BLUEPRINT Study is a world-first project based in Melbourne, following 550 babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy from birth to age two.
It aims to provide a more precise picture (phenotype) of how an individual preterm baby’s lungs are working in the first week after birth and how they grow in childhood. his will help clinicians understand what happens to a specific baby’s lungs during the normal clinical care given in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
We hope to predict the babies who are more at risk of future lung problems and come up with unique treatments for each baby.
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Gaps in the CDH Journey
This project is complete.
The Gaps in the CDH Journey project will identify questions and priorities of people with a lived experience of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), their caregivers, and healthcare providers.
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Optimising Breathing Support at Extubation in Very Preterm Infants: A Clinical Study (PrePAP)
The first clinical trial determining the effects of pre-extubation continuous positive airway pressure (PrePAP) in very preterm infants.
Read more...Optimising lung-protective ventilation
The Neonatal research group is internationally recognised for its leadership in supporting and protecting the lungs of critically ill newborns who require mechanical ventilation. The team specialises in advanced ventilation techniques, including high-frequency ventilation, and is at the forefront of developing bedside physiological imaging to assess regional lung function in real time.
Our research has demonstrated the importance of carefully expanding the lungs to a maximum safe volume, followed by reducing pressure to the lowest level that maintains effective ventilation. This approach helps minimise lung injury and improve outcomes for vulnerable infants.
Improving the resuscitation of sick newborn infants at birth
A healthy start to life depends on a successful transition from life in the womb (in-utero) to life outside it (ex-utero). For some newborn infants, this does not occur and they require resuscitation at birth.
Our team has led a series of translational and clinical trials aimed at improving newborn resuscitation techniques. Supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grant and in collaboration with Monash University and the Royal Women’s Hospital, this research has directly influenced how neonatologists resuscitate sick newborn infants in clinical settings.
NEST (Newborn Electrographic Seizure Trial)
This multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) is nearing completion. It investigates the benefits and potential risks of treating all electrographic seizures in a cohort of encephalopathic term newborns. The findings will help guide future seizure management strategies in neonatal care.
PAEAN Study
The PAEAN Study explores whether erythropoietin, when used alongside therapeutic hypothermia, can improve outcomes for term infants with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). This research could lead to more effective neuroprotective strategies for affected newborns.
Other ongoing studies
- RESUS NHMRC Trial
Investigating new approaches to neonatal resuscitation. - Molecular Lung Injury Research
Exploring the biological mechanisms of lung damage in newborns. - Novel Nebulisation Systems
Developing innovative ways to deliver respiratory therapies. - Go with the Flow Study
Examining blood flow dynamics in newborns. - Temperature Control
Studying optimal thermal management in neonatal intensive care. - Developmental Outcomes of Complex Conditions
Tracking long-term outcomes in infants with serious neonatal conditions.
Funding
Thank you to our supporters.
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
- Centre of Research Excellence Program
- NHMRC Project Grant (Professor Hunt)
- NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (A/Prof Tingay)
- ANZ Trustees
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance
- Victorian Government Department of Business and Innovation
Collaborations
We collaborate with leading institutions worldwide, including:
- NHMRC Preterm Infants Centre of Research Excellence
- The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
- The University of Melbourne
- Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne
- University of Western Australia
- Royal Hobart Hospital
- Monash University
- Politecnico Di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
- Universitatsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
Featured publications
Cameron KL, McGinley JL, Allison K, Fini NA, Cheong JLY, Spittle AJ. Dance PREEMIE, a Dance PaRticipation intervention for Extremely prEterm children with Motor Impairment at prEschool age: an Australian feasibility trial protocol. BMJ Open. 2020 Jan 26;10(1):e034256. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034256. PMID: 31988234; PMCID: PMC7044943.
Haikerwal A, Doyle LW, Cheung MM, Wark JD, Opie G, Roberts G, Patton G, Cheong JLY. High Blood Pressure in Young Adult Survivors Born Extremely Preterm or Extremely Low Birthweight in the Post Surfactant Era. Hypertension. 2020 Jan;75(1):211-217. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.13780. Epub 2019 Nov 18. PMID: 31735082.
Haikerwal A, Doyle LW, Patton G, Wark JD, Garland SM, Burnett AC, Cheong JLY. Using Facebook to Improve Participation Among 25-Year-Olds Enrolled in a Longitudinal Preterm Birth Cohort Study. Acad Pediatr. 2020 Sep-Oct;20(7):1029-1036. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2020.01.008. Epub 2020 Jan 25. PMID: 31987891.
Atkins WK, McDougall R, Perkins EJ, Pereira-Fantini PM, Tingay DG. A dedicated respiratory function monitor to improve tidal volume delivery during neonatal anesthesia. Paediatr Anaesth. 2019 Sep;29(9):920-926. doi: 10.1111/pan.13707. Epub 2019 Aug 12. PMID: 31318466.
McKinlay CJ, Manley BJ. Antenatal and postnatal corticosteroids: A swinging pendulum. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2019 Jun;24(3):167-169. doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2019.05.007. Epub 2019 May 23. PMID: 31147160.