Ensuring women’s and babies’ future best health

To celebrate her distinguished career in maternal fetal medicine, Caroline Crowther, Professor of Maternal and Perinatal Health, Liggins Institute, Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland will be honoured at a special Scientific Symposium on Thursday 9 October 2025.

The symposium will celebrate some of the major contributions, with worldwide impact, Caroline has made to evidence based health care in maternal perinatal medicine, including improving the health of babies born preterm, prevention of cerebral palsy, and caring for women with a high risk pregnancy due to hypertensive disease and gestational diabetes.

Suitable for health professionals, students and people interested in maternal and newborn health, the symposium will present the latest research evidence for use in clinical practice, including care for women at risk of preterm birth, and best care practices for women with gestational diabetes and their babies.

Delegates will gain insights into the development of the evidence base of our current knowledge and identify further research strategies that are needed across maternal and newborn health relevant for New Zealand and globally. Delegates will receive a certificate of attendance for CPD hours.

Light catering will be provided. Please let us know if you need to cancel your registration so we can offer your place to someone else.

There is no charge for this event, but we would gratefully receive any donations to the Liggins Institute Clinical Research Internship programme. Each year, the programme supports around four second-year medical students to do a paid two-year research internship alongside their medical studies. You can donate and find out more here: Liggins Internship Programme - University of Auckland Foundation

Speakers include:

Dr Anthony Walters and Dr Robyn May - long term follow-up of participants in the Auckland Steroid and ACTORDS Trials.

Prof Katie Groom, Prof Jo Said, Prof Jane Alsweiler and Prof Joshua Vogel - progress with the C*Steroid and PRECeDE trials, neonatal trials and antenatal corticosteroid trials in low/middle income countries.

Prof Lex Doyle, Prof Philippa Middleton and Dr Emily Shepherd - prenatal magnesium sulphate prior to very preterm birth to prevent cerebral palsy.

Prof Jonathan Morris - The Australian Preterm Birth Alliance, safe prevention of preterm and early term births.

Prof Amanda Henry, Dr Qiliang Liu, Dr Lisa Douglas - improving care for women with gestational diabetes and their babies.

Dr Luling Lin, Dr Barbara Cormack, Dr Lisa Dawes - challenges of preparing clinical practice guidelines and implementing their findings.

Distinguished Prof Dame Jane Harding – Effective follow-up after maternal perinatal trials.

Prof Cindy Farquhar and Prof Philippa Middleton - preparing high quality systematic reviews for women’s health and neonatal care.

Prof Jackie Ho and Prof Joshua Vogel - Global health priorities for all mothers and babies.

A/Prof Kirsten Palmer, Prof Katie Groom, Prof Frank Bloomfield - IMPACT, Te Awhi Rito ONTRACK, ensuring effective clinical trial networks.