LCANZ is pleased to introduce the impressive line up of oral presenters for the 2023 Conference.
Lisa Amir – Principal Research Fellow, La Trobe University
Professor Lisa Amir, MBBS MMed PhD IBCLC , is a general practitioner and lactation consultant. She works in breastfeeding medicine at The Royal Women’s Hospital. She is a Principal Research Fellow at the Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Australia. She is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and the Editor-in-Chief of International Breastfeeding Journal.
Anna Blair, PhD, IBCLC, CLC – Director of Academic Programs, Healthy Children Project
Anna is the Director of Academic Programs at Healthy Children Project’s Center for Breastfeeding. As a lactation care provider, Dr. Blair works in a community-based lactation center answering a breastfeeding warmline for three counties and offering face-to-face visits. Dr. Blair spent nearly two decades in academia in addition to her work in clinical practice and research. She is the author of numerous books and research articles.
Elaine S Burns – Associate Professor of Midwifery, Western Sydney University
Elaine Burns is an Associate Professor of Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Her research is focused on breastfeeding, models of care, midwifery practice and women’s experience of maternity care. Elaine’s work is collaborative and multidisciplinary with a publication track record of more than 60 peer reviewed publications. Elaine has been awarded multiple research grants to further investigate barriers to breastfeeding and models of maternity care and is passionate about improving support during pregnancy, birth and the early transition to mothering.
Kajsa Brimdyr, PhD, CLC – Faculty Senior Ethnographic Researcher, Healthy Children Project
Kajsa is an experienced ethnographer, researcher and international expert in the implementation of continuous, uninterrupted skin-to-skin in the first hour after birth. She is a published author and the award-winning director of The Magical Hour: Holding Your Baby for the First Hour After Birth and the groundbreaking DVD Skin-to-Skin in the First Hour after Birth: Practical Advice for Staff after Vaginal and Cesarean Birth. Her current research involves using video ethnography to change practice in hospital settings to improve continuous skin-to-skin for the first hour.
Karin Cadwell, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANLC, CLC, IBCLC – Healthy Children Project
Karin has worked in the field of breastfeeding and human lactation for more than 50 years. Dr. Cadwell is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and counsels breastfeeding mothers at the Center for Breastfeeding, a community-based lactation clinic on Cape Cod. She is the author of numerous books and research articles.
Katherine Carroll – Senior Lecturer, Australian National University
Dr. Katherine Carroll is a medical sociologist in the School of Sociology at the Australian National University. She is leading a research team on an Australian Research Council funded grant on the topic of Lactation After Infant Death. Working with health professionals, bereaved parents, and human milk banks, this research has produced research-based information that hospital and milk bank staff can utilise when working to provide comprehensive lactation care delivery for bereaved families. She has published her team’s work in the peer-reviewed journals of Breastfeeding Medicine, Journal of Human Lactation, Sociology of Health and Illness and Health Sociology Review, and has contributed to resources utilised by the Australian Breastfeeding Association in their support of bereaved families.
Linda J Deys – CMC Lactation Support, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
Linda is a midwife and lactation consultant of over 30 years experience. She has supported 2 hospitals within her health district to become BFHI accredited and is passionate about the protection of breastfeeding and the right for women to make informed feeding choices which have not been biased by commercial interests. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Australian Catholic University seeking to understand the experience of women who have been separated from their baby after caesarean section birth without medical need.
Heather R Gale – Core Member, WBTiAustralia
Heather is a Core Member of WBTi Australia and a RN/RM/IBCLC/PGDip Nurse Education/MN/MLCANZ. I have a post graduate diploma in Nurse Education and a Master of Nursing. Her current professional role is Clinical Midwife Specialist 2, Lactation, NICU, South West Sydney Local Health District. 2023 marks the 39th year of her Nursing career! A career that was inspired by the greatest Nurse ever, her mother! Her clinical nursing experience spans the public and private sectors, in both acute and community settings, and has held Sessional Academic, teaching positions in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programs. Heather has immersed myself in her specialty field, Human Lactation, not long after Midwifery training, qualifying firstly as a Breastfeeding Counsellor with the Australian Breastfeeding Association, and then as an International Board Certified, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Her professional vision was to eventually work as a recognised, Nurse Specialist in this field. In 2017 she finally achieved that goal.
Lynne Henry – Clinical Midwife Consultant, Infant Feeding, Westmead Hospital
Lynne Henry is Clinical Midwife Consultant for Infant Feeding at Westmead Hospital, and an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Lynne has been a midwife since 1996, holds a Master of Midwifery, and is currently a Master of Research candidate through Western Sydney University. She has practiced in diverse women-centered midwifery models of care across Australia, both rurally, and in major metropolitan centers. Lynne has a special interest in supporting vulnerable populations and is passionate about supporting women to meet their breastfeeding goals.
Melody Jackson – GP, Breastfeeding & Beyond
Dr Melody Jackson is a GP, IBCLC and founder of Breastfeeding and Beyond, a specialised clinic for mothers and babies in the postnatal period. She is an Adjunct Clinical Lecturer at UNDS School of Medicine and has completed a Master of Public Health, Diplomas of Child Health and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and is an accredited practitioner in Neuroprotective Developmental Care with the Possums Clinic for mothers and babies. She is currently completing a Certificate of Traumatic Stress Studies. This unique skill set drives her passion and expertise in the areas of breastfeeding medicine, maternal mental health and whole family wellbeing.
Marjan MK Khajehei – Clinical Midwifery Consultant, Women’s Health Research, Westmead hospital
A/Prof Marjan Khajehei holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Midwifery and a PhD in Sexology. she is ‘Clinical Midwifery Consultant’ at Westmead hospital and is affiliated with the University of Sydney as ‘Principal Research Fellow’ and University of New South Wales as ‘Conjoint Senior Lecturer’. Marjan has more than 27 years experience working in the field of women’s and newborns’ health in clinical, educational and research capacities both overseas and in Australia.
Jessica M McCarroll – Physiotherapist, First in Breast Dressed
Jessica is a physiotherapist with over 15 years experience. Her areas of specialty have spanned aged care and rehabilitation, breast cancer rehabilitation and postpartum physiotherapy. Jessica has completed further studies in lactation specific education including Lactation Education Resources. Personally Jessica has breastfed her two children through multiple barriers and aims to facilitate lactation to all who would like assistance in this area.
Fiona McLardie-Hore – PhD candidate, La Trobe University
Fiona commenced her PhD candidature in 2017 and her study is based on data collected as part of the Ringing Up about Breastfeeding earlY (RUBY) randomised controlled trial that was undertaken at three hospital sites in Melbourne, Victoria. Fiona coordinated this trial proactive telephone-based peer support to first time mothers. The focus of her research is to evaluate the outcomes and experiences of mothers during their participation in the trial.
Anita M Moorhead, RN RM IBCLC Certs – NeonatPaed & HlthSerMan, Clinical Midwife Consultant (Lactation), Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne and Trial Coordinator for the DAME (Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing Trial), Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University.
Anita is a PhD Candidate at La Trobe University. Anita has worked in the fields of midwifery, neonatal pediatrics, early parenting, lactation services and nursing management. She has collaborated on a number of breastfeeding papers, hospital and state based clinical guidelines and breastfeeding reports.
Lauren Neill – Senior Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherpist, Women’s Health Physio Mackay
Lauren is a titled Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, MACP. Lauren grew up and studied in Melbourne and now lives with her family in Mackay, North Queensland. Lauren is a business owner, with her clinic Women’s Health Physio Mackay.
In recent times, after seeing many women cease breastfeeding due to modifiable reasons, she became an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Lauren now has a unique skill set to assist women through their antenatal, postnatal and pelvic health conditions, and support patients through their breastfeeding career as a WMPH physio and IBCLC. Most importantly, she is a wife to Matt and mother to her two gorgeous boys, Harvey and Charlie.
Kaarina Paasila – RM/RN, Liverpool Hospital South Western Sydney Local Health District
Kaarina is a proud Wiradjuri woman, a registered Nurse and a midwife since 2007. Kaarina runs the Binya Wiyangara antenatal model of care for Aboriginal and Torrens strait Islander women at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s South West . Kaarina sits on the NSW breastfeeding advisory committee and the SWSLHD district breastfeeding committee, advising on the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Kaarina has presented at the SWSLHD Advanced Breastfeeding Course on the issues for vulnerable populations and breastfeeding. She has a passion for improving the outcomes for Aboriginal families throughout pregnancy birth and breastfeeding.
Cynthia Peterson – Midwife/Lactation Consultant, North West Integrated Maternity Services Tasmania
Cynthia Peterson has been a midwife for 42 years and an IBCLC for 23 of those years. She has worked in many settings over that time in remote, rural and metropolitan areas. She has found that mothers are the same everywhere regardless of race and culture. Every mother with a newborn wants what is best for their baby. Unfortunately, not every mother is able to do this. Cynthia believes that our role is not to expect every mother to provide the best, but instead to support her to mother to best of her ability.
Andini Pramono – PhD Scholar Australian National University
Andini is an IBCLC and now in her final year of PhD at the Australian National University. Her PhD thesis is looking at the facilitators and barriers of Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative implementation and accreditation in Indonesia and Australia.
Libby Salmon – PhD Scholar Australian National University
Libby Salmon is a PhD candidate at the Menzies Centre for Health Governance, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University, Canberra, to research the regulation of women’s food production for infants and young children through breastfeeding. Her research investigates the contribution of human milk sharing to infant food security and health policy in Australia. Libby is a breastfeeding counsellor with the Australian Breastfeeding Association and a member of the core committee of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (Australia).
Chloe Smith – Consultant Paediatrician, Private Practice
Chloe Smith is a Consultant Paediatrician and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Chloe completed her medical degree at Monash University in 2007 and has been practicing Paediatrics since 2009. Recognising the complexity of infant feeding and seeking a deeper understanding of the science behind lactation, she embarked upon training in breastfeeding medicine and qualified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2015. Chloe has a special interest in gestational malignancy and its impact upon lactational and paediatric outcomes. She provides lactation counselling to mothers with active cancer in pregnancy and lactation, and to those seeking information about lactation following cancer treatment.
Jeni Stevens, RN, RN (Hons 1st Class), RM, IBCLC, PhD – Midwifery Lecturer, Western Sydney University
Jeni is a Midwifery Lecturer at Western Sydney University and was recently a Clinical Midwifery Consultant in Infant Feeding. She is passionate about research and education, focusing on improving maternal and infant physiological and psychological outcomes. She has completed research on Doulas in Australia and Skin-to-Skin Contact Immediately after a Caesarean Section.
Susan Tawia – Breastfeeding Researcher And Health Professional Educator, Australian Breastfeeding Association
Dr Susan Tawia holds a PhD in Reproductive Physiology, a Diploma in Breastfeeding Management and a Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education. She has worked as a research scientist, a science teacher and has worked in a paid position with the Australian Breastfeeding Association since 2008. Susan also volunteers as an ABA Breastfeeding Educator.
In her current role, Susan supports the work of ABA’s Breastfeeding Information and Research team ensuring information in ABA resources is up to date and evidence based. She also undertakes evaluations of ABA services and supports breastfeeding research by both ABA and external researchers. An important part of Susan’s role is to advocate on behalf of the Australian Breastfeeding Association to influence policymakers and impact policies to ensure they protect breastfeeding.
Justine van der Watt – Director of Professional Advocacy and Support, LCANZ
Justine is a registered nurse, endorsed midwife, and IBCLC. She found a passion for breastfeeding support after struggling to breastfeed her daughter in 2014, despite being a midwife and working in NICU since 2007. She has worked predominantly in private practice since 2018, seeing families for antenatal and postnatal care, and breastfeeding support and education. She is currently completing a Master of Midwifery by Research, exploring mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding support in hospital.
Elizabeth Yip – CMS 1, Royal North Shore Hospital
Elizabeth Yip has been a passionate support of breastfeeding and mother/ baby centred care for over 40 years. She has worked in all areas of maternity as well as paediatrics’ and Early Childhood Health. She is a RN RM IBCLC. She also has certificates in paediatrics, mothercraft and post graduate certificate in woman’s health and ABA counsellor.
She has authored professional journals and presented posters at Conferences in Australia on Breastfeeding. She is the story collector for Spilt Milk a collection of over 80 woman’s honest Breastfeeding Stories to be launched in 2023.