The RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation aims to foster clinical and scientific research in women’s health, support global health projects and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s health initiatives.

Under the oversight of the Research Grants Committee, the College supports promising early-career researchers across Australia and New Zealand by annually awarding research fellowships, scholarships and travel grants to those practising in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. With 24 eligible applications received across Australia and New Zealand this year, the assessment process was once again very competitive.

The RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation is pleased to announce that the following applicants have been offered research and travel awards commencing in 2021:

Brown Craig Travelling Fellowship

Recipient: Dr Alexander Chen
Institution: China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan
Project: Dr Chen will undertake a 12-month Fellowship at the China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.

Dr Alexander Chen is a RANZCOG Advanced Trainee currently undertaking a 12-month Fellowship at the China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan with an emphasis on gynaecology oncology, endometriosis, and urogynaecology. He will be able to develop his surgical skills in open, laparoscopic, robotic, and vaginal surgery under the mentorship of gynaecological oncology and urogynaecology surgeons in a high-volume, tertiary, Taiwanese surgical unit. Through his Fellowship he also hopes
to foster further collaboration in the future.

Glyn White Research Fellowship

Recipient: Dr Teresa Macdonald
Institution: University of Melbourne
Project: Is increased fetal growth velocity during pregnancy associated with perinatal and neonatal indicators of pathological overgrowth?

Dr Teresa MacDonald is a RANZCOG Fellow, and a post-doc Clinician Scientist Research Fellow with the University of Melbourne. Dr MacDonald’s project will evaluate the relationships between increasing fetal growth velocity in pregnancy and indicators of pathological overgrowth, including shoulder dystocia. This work aims to determine whether assessment of fetal growth velocity might enable clinicians to better identify pregnancies at higher risk of shoulder dystocia, especially among women with fetuses who are not large-for-gestational-age, for whom few identifiable risk factors exist.

Norman Beischer Clinical Research Scholarship

Recipient: Dr Tegan Triggs
Institution: Mater Mother’s Hospital
Project: Reducing emergency caesarean birth for fetal distress in women with small or poorly grown infants using Sildenafil Citrate – The RidStress 2 Randomised Controlled Trial.

Dr Tegan Triggs is a RANZCOG Advanced Trainee at Mater Mothers’ Hospital and a PhD Candidate with Prof Sailesh Kumar at Mater Research, University of Queensland. Her project, the RidStress 2 Randomised Controlled Trial, aims to repurpose sildenafil citrate by administering it to women with small-for-gestational age or suboptimally grown infants during labour. Given sildenafil citrate dilates pelvic vessels and increases utero-placental perfusion, the trial aims to demonstrate that the intrapartum use of this drug reduces emergency operative birth for fetal distress in this vulnerable cohort of infants.

RANZCOG NSW State Committee Trainee Research Grant

Recipient: Dr Dave Listijono
Institution: University of New South Wales
Project: NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide)-raising agent as novel treatment for endometriosis: A pilot study.

Dr Listijono is an AGES Fellow with the Sydney Women’s Endosurgery Centre (SWEC) and a CREI Fellow with IVF Australia. His project seeks to investigate the efficacy of pharmacological agents, with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-augmenting properties, as a novel strategy for treatment of endometriosis.

Recipient: Dr Rahul Chatterjee
Institution: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Project: Forces exerted on the pelvic floor and perineum during normal and instrumental vaginal delivery.

Dr Rahul Chatterjee is a fourth-year RANZCOG Trainee at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, who is also undertaking a Masters of International Public Health. His study is aimed at calculating the forces exerted on the maternal pelvic floor and perineal muscles by different obstetric tools and delivery types in order to reduce perineal trauma rates, optimise operative delivery, and improve training for future clinicians.

RANZCOG NSW State Committee Fellow Research Grant

Recipient: Dr Supuni Kapurubandara
Institution: Westmead Hospital
Project: Improving the diagnostic workup of pelvic floor myofascial pain in women.

Dr Supuni Kapurubandara is a full-time O&G specialist at Westmead and Auburn Hospitals and PhD Student at the University of New South Wales. Her study aims to improve the detection of a muscular cause of pelvic pain in adult women. Pelvic pain is a common symptom which can impact bowel, urinary and sexual function and ultimately affect quality of life and the ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Muscular causes of pain should be ruled out as measures such as pelvic physiotherapy can help manage this cause of pain and avoid unnecessary surgery in the appropriate patient.

Recipient: Dr Amy Feng
Institution: Blacktown Hospital
Project: LigaSure Retractable L-Hook compared with Harmonic Ace +7 as a single instrument for total laparoscopic hysterectomy: Is bipolar energy superior to ultrasonic energy? A randomised controlled trial.

Dr Amy Feng is a RANZCOG Fellow who completed an AGES Laparoscopic Fellowship in Sydney in 2019–2020. Dr Feng’s project aims to compare an advanced bipolar device (LigaSure L-Hook) with an ultrasonic scalpel (Harmonic ACE + 7) as a single instrument to complete a total laparoscopic hysterectomy to determine which energy modality is associated with a shorter operating time and less blood loss.

UroGynaecological Society of Australasia Research Scholarship

Recipient: Dr Victoria Buckley
Institution: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Project: Prolapse surgery and the overactive bladder.
Dr Victoria Buckley is a RANZCOG Fellow and a first year Urogynaecology Subspecialty Trainee. Dr Buckley’s project will examine anatomical predictors associated with the improvement in overactive bladder symptoms following vaginal prolapse repair.

Investing in research

With your support, the RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation can make a considerable positive impact on the health and wellbeing of women now and into the future.

> Donate now

Your donation will enable the RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation to invest in clinical and scientific research, as well as initiatives in global women’s health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s health.

Please contact the Women’s Health Foundation if you would like to establish a clinical and scientific research Fellowship, a legacy supporting outstanding young scholars to gain clinical experience or conduct research. For enquiries, please contact the RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation by emailing [email protected].

RANZCOG members can also donate to the Foundation via the Payments section of the my.RANZCOG members portal. To login and donate, please go to my.ranzcog.edu.au/login or donate via the RANZCOG website, www.ranzcog.edu.au. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

2022 RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation Scholarship applications are now open and will close on 30 June 2021.