Chair of Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Alliance & The University of Sydney; Medical Director and Co-Head Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
Professor Nadia Badawi AM is a neonatologist and a leading authority on cerebral palsy (CP) and newborn encephalopathy. In 2009, she was appointed Australia’s first Chair of Cerebral Palsy to lead and oversee Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s ambitious research program aimed at:
In this role, she leads a team of > 45 researchers at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute. The Institutes work focuses on strategies to prevent CP, finding the best treatments and assistive technologies, as well as search for a cure. Collaboration with health professionals, researchers and policymakers has helped drive a 40% reduction in the rate of cerebral palsy in Australia – from 1 in 400 to 1 in 700 live births – one of the lowest published rates worldwide. This decline has also been accompanied by reduced severity, with fewer children experiencing epilepsy and more children able to walk.
Professor Badawi is a member of both the NSW/ACT CP Register and the Australian CP Register, the largest nationwide register and a powerful resource for research and service planning. She has also supported the establishment of CP registers in low‑ and middle‑income countries including Bangladesh and Vietnam, and contributed to the development of the International CP Genomics Consortium and the ANZ CP Strategy. She serves as a member on the steering group of the Global Low- and Middle-Income CP Register and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation. Professor Badawi has co‑chaired ten International Cerebral Palsy Prevention and Cure Summits.
Her research in newborn intensive care focuses on increasing the survival of infants and improving long‑term neurodevelopmental outcomes. She works closely with doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and families to enhance the experience of babies and parents in hospital. A recognised leader in neurodevelopmental follow‑up for high‑risk infants, she has helped implement change in developmental follow‑up procedures for all children undergoing surgery.
Professor Badawi is Medical Director and Co‑Head of the Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, which provides training and mentoring to health professionals internationally. The Grace Centre is also the Australasian Newborn Individualised Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) Training Centre.
Her lifetime publications and citations place her among the top 1% of neonatologists globally, and she is the third most published CP researcher worldwide. She has served as Chief Investigator on more than 20 National Health and Medical Research Council project grants and three Cerebral Palsy Centres of Research Excellence. She has delivered over 150 national and international keynote presentations and more than 400 international conference presentations, securing more than $50 million in research funding and over $20 million in philanthropic grants.
In 2014, Professor Badawi was awarded an AM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for significant service to paediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and research into cerebral palsy. She was a finalist for NSW Australian of the Year in 2026 and a finalist for the Premier’s Award for Public Service in 2025. She was also named one of the Australian Financial Review and Westpac “100 Australian Women of Influence” (global category) for her leadership in the search for the prevention and cure of CP and her commitment to improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children in developing countries.
Professor Badawi and her team received the NSW Health Research Award for Research in 2023 and the Vice‑Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence in 2024.
Through her leadership, advocacy and scientific contribution, Professor Badawi continues to improve the lives of children with CP and their families globally.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance Chair of Allied Health, The University of Sydney
Head of Research Translation, Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Professor Iona Novak AM is the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Chair of Allied Health at The University of Sydney and the Head of Research Translation at Cerebral Palsy Alliance. She is a Fulbright Scholar leading Xcellerate, an American–Australian Cerebral Palsy Stem Cell Research Consortium designed to fast-track global discovery by uniting world-leading experts with a shared vision to find a cure. Professor Novak also serves as the invited Chair of the International Clinical Guidelines for Cerebral Palsy, shaping global standards for diagnosis and care.
In recognition of her contributions to science and society, Professor Novak received the Elsass Foundation Research Award in 2021 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to cerebral palsy research. According to the independent medical expert ranking index ScholarGPS, she is the highest-ranked cerebral palsy researcher globally over the past five years.
Driven by a deep belief that research and healthcare can transform lives, Professor Novak has dedicated her career to projects with meaningful impact for people with cerebral palsy and their families. She is internationally recognised for her expertise in rehabilitation, neuroplasticity and knowledge translation, and her research has influenced clinical practice across 32 countries. Her leadership has contributed to major advances including co-founding the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register, and developing pioneering clinical practice guidelines for early diagnosis, evidence-based early intervention, and approaches that promote lifelong independence for people with cerebral palsy.
Director of CP Research, Victoria
The Financial Markets Foundation for Children Chair in Neonatal Paediatrics, Monash University Neonatologist, Monash Health
CPA’s Chair of Research VIC was established in 2020 to bring together the brightest minds and key stakeholders across Victoria in CP research to accelerate building a research roadmap, providing direction for new discoveries globally.
Professor Rod Hunt, an accomplished researcher and neonatologist who has dedicated his working life to delivering the best care to some of Australia’s tiniest and most vulnerable babies was appointed to the position. Professor Hunt promotes CP research through collaboration with an outstanding multidisciplinary research team and program currently affiliated with seven major institutions in Victoria, Australia and internationally.
Professor Hunt’s priorities include:
Cerebral Palsy Chair of Technology and Engineering, school of biomedical engineering, faculty of engineering and computer science.
Professor Alistair McEwan is the Cerebral Palsy Chair of Technology and Engineering, school of biomedical engineering, faculty of engineering and computer science.
He is the Theme Leader for Biomedical Devices and Instrumentation and helped lead the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Innovative Bioengineering. He was appointed as CPA’s first Chair of Technology and Innovation in 2017 to harness advancing technology and innovation to accelerate the search for new and improved treatments and interventions for childhood disabilities.
Professor McEwan is an acknowledged leader in bioelectronics for solving health issues; in 2011 he was awarded a Microsoft Future Fellowship, the first Australian to be recognised with this award, for his work developing electronic devices to diagnose heart attack and stroke early. With teams in engineering and health, Professor McEwan is developing cognitive assessments for people with CP and investigating improved methods of mobility and communication using bionics, robotics and artificial intelligence to help people with cerebral palsy stay better connected to their communities
Scientific Advisor, Global Health and Translation
Professor Gulam Khandaker is a public health physician and implementation scientist whose work is guided by a deep commitment to health equity. He is Scientific Advisor, Global Health and Translation at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, and Associate Director and Head of Global Health at the Australia’s National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS). At NCIRS, he works closely with Ministries of Health, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and regional partners to strengthen immunisation policy, programs and health systems across the Asia-Pacific.
He leads the Global LMIC Cerebral Palsy Register, an international collaboration connecting researchers, clinicians and partner organisations across more than 30 countries. Through this initiative, he supports locally led research, workforce development, earlier diagnosis and stronger systems of care for children with cerebral palsy and their families.
Professor Khandaker is also a Board Member of Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service and previously served as its Executive Director of Medical Services. These roles complement his experience in public health leadership, clinical governance and translating evidence into health-system improvement.
At CPA Research Institute, he helps turn global research into practical improvements for children and families. His approach is grounded in listening, partnership and working alongside communities to build solutions that are locally relevant and lasting.
Program Lead, Epidemiology
Adj Professor Sarah McIntyre is the Program Lead for Epidemiology, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, University of Sydney. She is responsible for the day to day running of the NSW/ACT CP Register, is the current Chair of the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register and a working group member of the Global LMIC CP Register. Sarah leads a group of researchers who focus on understanding the causal pathways to CP, developing prevention strategies for healthy pregnancies and working with people with lived experience to guide the work of the Research Institute.
Program Lead, Regeneration
Megan is a Senior Research Fellow and leads the Regeneration Program at the CPA Research Institute. With a PhD in biochemistry, Megan is a stem cell scientist and research leader focused on developing regenerative therapies for the prevention, treatment and possible cures of cerebral palsy. Megan leads a team working across discovery science, clinical trial development, and community‑engaged research. Megan helped to lead efforts that enabled Australia’s first compassionate access case of cord blood treatment for a child with cerebral palsy.
Program Lead, Early Detection & Intervention
Cathy is a physiotherapist with a PhD in Biomedical Science and 30+ years clinical and research experience in the field of cerebral palsy. Cathy is a General Movements Assessment Tutor and coordinates a network of clinicians and researchers focused on improving the early detection of cerebral palsy in high-risk infants in NSW. Dr Morgan has led the establishment of the first three early diagnostic clinics for cerebral palsy in collaboration with NSW Health and Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Dr Morgan conducts clinical trials in early intervention and leads an international longitudinal study of early development in cererbal palsy.
Program Lead, Technology
Petra leads a program of research that focuses on bringing allied health and biomedical engineering together, at the AHa Engineering Lab (Allied Health and Engineering). The Aha Engineering lab has a focus on innovative tech, creating multiple devices to support functioning in daily across mobility, cognition and communication investigated the use of participation to support functioning in daily activities for individuals living with severe cerebral palsy.
Business Operations Manager
Vanessa has over 13 years of research experience and completed a PhD focused on neurotoxins and biomarkers in Motor Neuron Disease. She combines her practical research background with strategic thinking to strengthen research operations at CPA. Vanessa specialises in aligning operational strategy with organisational goals, optimising processes, and enabling efficient, future‑focused systems that support researchers to achieve impact. She is committed to improving public health and fostering a thriving, collaborative research ecosystem.
Executive Assistant to Prof Nadia Badawi AM
Margaret is the Executive Assistant at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, providing high level coordination, strategic support, and trusted oversight of sensitive correspondence and operations. She streamlines complex workflows, manages stakeholder engagement, and ensures seamless delivery of business priorities. Known for her professionalism, clarity, and warmth, Margaret contributes to a collaborative culture, enabling her colleagues to excel and supporting the team’s shared commitment to impactful outcomes.
Project Officer & Administrator
Maddison is the Research Institute Project Officer & Administrator at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute. As the first point of contact for research enquiries, she supports research, operational and strategic activities across the Institute. Her responsibilities include project coordination, financial and administrative processes, executive reporting, and the coordination of meetings, events and travel. Maddison also brings experience supporting Phase I-III paediatric solid tumour clinical trials, providing a strong foundation in research administration and coordination.
Senior Biostatistician
Dr Annabel Webb is Senior Biostatistician at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, providing statistical expertise to support rigorous, high-quality research. She contributes to a wide variety of Research Institute projects at all stages of the research cycle, guiding study design, data analysis, and communication of study results. Annabel’s focus is identifying where advancements in study design and data analysis methods can be harnessed to help address priority research questions for people with cerebral palsy and their families.
Research Fellow
Dr Israt Jahan is a Research Fellow at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute and Coordinator of the Global LMIC Cerebral Palsy Register (GLM CPR), a collaborative network spanning more than 30 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Her research focuses on cerebral palsy, nutrition, and health equity in resource-limited settings. Through international partnerships, she contributes to generating and translating evidence that strengthens early detection, intervention, and outcomes for children with cerebral palsy and their families.
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