Extremely Preterm Infant Centre of Research Excellence (EPIC)

Over 1,300 babies are born extremely preterm (EP), born less than 28 weeks' gestation, in Australia each year.

EPIC (Extremely Preterm Infant Centre of Research Excellence) is Australia’s first dedicated centre focused on improving outcomes for tiny babies.

EPIC builds on the rich legacy from the previous CRE in Newborn Medicine.

Our vision 

• Create new knowledge through cutting edge trials
• Translate research into practise
• Grow future leaders in newborn health
• Build strong partnerships locally and globally

Together we hope to pave the way for clinicians and families to improve important health and developmental outcomes for children born extremely preterm.

Our team

We bring together researchers, clinicians, families and community partners to tackle the biggest health and development challenges these babies face. The EPIC team is proud to lead through innovative research and strong partnerships so that every child born preterm can thrive.

Download our guidelines

We translate research into real-world care. EPIC teams, together with families, experts and health professional developed the NHMRC-approved national guidelines for follow-up care of very preterm children.

The guidelines aim to ensure consistent, high-quality support after discharge, helping over 3,000 babies (including those born very preterm) and their families each year.

Guideline for Growth, Health and Developmental Follow-up for Children Born Very Preterm 20241.45 MB

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More information

• Guideline for Growth, Health and Developmental Follow-up for Children Born Very Preterm
• CRE of Newborn Medicine website (Previous CRE)
• Newborn Health
• Neonatal Research
• Victorian Infant Brain Studies (VIBeS)

Our Chief Investigators

• Professor Jeanie Cheong, Chief Investigator (CI) Group Leader/Principal Research Fellow, Neonatal Paediatrician
• Professor Alicia Spittle, Chief Investigator (CI) Group Leader/Principal Research Fellow, Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Professor Brett Manley, Chief Investigator (CI) Group Leader/Principal Research Fellow, Neonatal Paediatrician
• Dr Kate Hodgson, Chief Investigator (CI), Neonatal Paediatrician, The University of Melbourne
• Professor Peter Anderson, Chief Investigator (CI), Neuropsychologist
• Professor Ju-Lee Oei, Chief Investigator (CI), Neonatal Paediatrician, University of NSW
• Professor Katherine Lee, Chief Investigator (CI), Biostatistician
• Associate Professor Louise Owen, Chief Investigator (CI), Neonatal Paediatrician
• Professor Peter Davis, Chief Investigator (CI), Neonatal Paediatrician
• Dr Emily Shepherd, Chief Investigator (CI), Epidemiologist, The University of Adelaide
  
  

Team EPIC

• Professor Angela Morgan: Associate Investigator (AI); Speech Pathologist
• Associate Professor Rosemarie Boland: Associate Investigator (AI); Neonatal Nurse
• Associate Professor Christopher McKinlay: Associate Investigator (AI); Neonatal Paediatrician, University of Auckland
• Dr Tony de Paoli: Associate Investigator (AI); Neonatal Paediatrician, University of Tasmania
• Dr Joanne George: Associate Investigator (AI); Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Dr Gayatri Jape: Associate Investigator (AI); Neonatal Paediatrician
• Professor Kim Dalziel: Associate Investigator (AI); Health Economist
• Dr Kate Cameron: Associate Investigator (AI); Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Maggie Lloyd: Associate Investigator (AI), Lived Experience Network Member; Parent with Lived Experience; National Services Manager, Life's Little Treasures Foundation
• Amber Bates: Associate Investigator (AI), Lived Experience Network Member; Parent with Lived Experience; Founder, Tiny Sparks Foundation (WA)
• Dr Abbey Eeles: Core EPIC Team, Lived Experience Network Co-Facilitator; Paediatric Physiotherapist
• Loni Binstock: Core EPIC Team, Lived Experience Network Co-Facilitator, Executive Committee Member; Researcher & Lived Experience Member
• Evelyne Muggli: Core EPIC Team, Knowledge Transfer Team; Research Fellow
• Dr Kate Claydon-Platt: Core EPIC Team, Knowledge Transfer Team; Research Fellow
• Dr Shiraz Badurdeen: Core EPIC Team, Education Sub-Committee; Team Leader
• Dr Tugba Alarcon-Martinez: Core EPIC Team, Education Sub-Committee; Neonatal Paediatrician
• Megan Morales: Project Coordinator, Executive Committee Member

Funding

We would like to acknowledge funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for five years (2024-2029). 

Collaborating partners 

• The University of Melbourne 
• Royal Children’s Hospital 
• The Royal Women’s Hospital 
• Monash University 
• Monash Children’s Hospital 
• Mercy Hospital for Women 
• Royal Hobart Hospital 
• The University of Auckland 
• King Edward Hospital for Women 
• Children’s Health Queensland 
• The University of Queensland 
• Adelaide University  
• Rady Children’s Health 
• University of California Irvine 
• Life’s Little Treasures Foundation 
• Tiny Sparks Foundation 
• Miracle Babies Foundation 

Our projects

Whilst EPIC is a new Centre of Research Excellence (CRE), we have many projects that are linked to the team, with some commencing many decades ago.

• Bundle for Kids 
• SURFSUP
• PLUSS2 
• Premmie Ed 
• PLATIPUS
• VICS 
• Original ViBES 
• ViBES-2 
• SurPre 
• Baby Moves 
• TEDI-Prem 
• ACTIVE-Prem 

For more information on EPIC please contact us.

Email:  show email address