Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Associate Professor Kirsten Palmer is a clinician researcher. She is a maternal fetal medicine sub-specialist and heads the Maternal Fetal Medicine unit at Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health; an incredible team of people that provide care for some of the most complex pregnancies in Victoria. She is Deputy Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University where she co-leads the Pregnancy Discovery and Translational Research Collaborative, a research team focusing on reducing the impact of major pregnancy complications, such as fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia.
Her clinical and research interests closely align with a strong focus on improving outcomes for women and babies impacted by pregnancy complications. She has a particular focus on disorders of placentation, which lead to pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. She currently leads several clinical trials, including the world-first large, multicentre clinical trial exploring the use of melatonin for fetal neuroprotection in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction. In translating melatonin from bench to bedside, the pipeline developed now supports several new promising therapeutics she is translating to address preeclampsia, birth asphyxia and postpartum haemorrhage.
Associate Professor Palmer led the implementation of telehealth in pregnancy care during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to explore digital tool improvements to enhance access and equity in pregnancy care.
At a national level, Associate Professor Palmer is an executive committee member of the Interdisciplinary Maternal and Perinatal Australasian Clinical Trials (IMPACT) network, working to improve perinatal clinical trials across Australia and New Zealand to support the time to completion and then implementation of new advances in perinatal medicine. Locally, she is a member of the Consultative Council for Obstetric and Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality (CCOPMM) stillbirth sub-committee, aiming to minimise the risk of stillbirth for Victorian families.
She is absolutely passionate about improving the clinical care for pregnant women and advancing knowledge to achieve this. A passion made all the stronger thanks to her two incredible children who are a constant reminder as to what a privilege and gift parenthood is.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, Anti-angiogenic factors and pre-eclampsia: Understanding disease pathophysiology for diagnostic and therapeutic translation
Feb 2010 → Mar 2014
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (Honours), University of Melbourne
Jul 2002 → Dec 2006
Bachelor of biomedical Science, MONASH UNIVERSITY
Feb 1999 → Dec 2001
Research area keywords
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy disorders
- Preeclampsia
- fetal growth restriction
- maternal-fetal medicine
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A Learning Health System to implement prevention into routine pregnancy care
Teede, H. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Callander, E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mol, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Enticott, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lorber Rolnik, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Harrison, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Moran, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bahri-Khomami, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Powell, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Thangaratinam, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Zeps, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Palmer, K. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Hunt, R. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/04/25 → 30/06/30
Project: Research
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Pilot of a daily fetal movement score
Bradford, B. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Davies, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Palmer, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Mol, B. (Chief Investigator (CI))
4/02/25 → 3/02/26
Project: Research
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Revealing the molecular signatures of fetal growth restriction through placental and blood profiling.
Marshall, S., Camm, E. & Palmer, K.
1/01/25 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
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Pregnancy and the multiple sclerosis brain
John, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Beadnall, H. N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jokubaitis, V. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Butzkueven, H. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Phan, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Palmer, K. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Egan, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Shipley, J. M. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/01/25 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
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A Phase 2 Randomized, Proof of Concept Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of NGM120 in Pregnant Women with Severe Nausea and Vomiting (Hyperemesis Gravidarum)
Palmer, K. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
18/12/24 → 17/12/29
Project: Research
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Authors' response to Tran et al.'s comment on “The Use of Multiple Medications During Pregnancy Among an Ethnically Diverse Population in South-Eastern Melbourne: A Retrospective Analysis to Explore Potential Risks and Complications”
Belsti, Y., Mousa, A., Jackson, H., Moran, L. J., Palmer, K. R., Dhungana, R. R., Callander, E., Rolnik, D. L., Teede, H. & Enticott, J. (Leading Author), Apr 2025, In: Drug Safety. 48, 4, p. 439-441 3 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › Other › peer-review
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Characteristics and Causes of Stillbirths Following Disruption to Antenatal Care During Implementation of COVID-19 Mitigation Measures
Donaghey, J., Chu, S., Sridhar, S., Malhotra, A., Palmer, K. R., Rolnik, D. L. & Mol, B. W., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Characteristics of preterm births during COVID-19 mitigation measures
Liu, Y., Matheson, A., Sleaby, R., Mulcahy, B., Palmer, K. R., Hodges, R. J., Mol, B. W., Malhotra, A. & Rolnik, D. L., Feb 2025, In: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 65, 1, p. 114-120 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Investigating the impact of severe maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on infant DNA methylation and neurodevelopment
Hill, R. A., Gibbons, A., Suwakulsiri, W., Taseska, A., Darke, H., Malhotra, A., Yee, H., Fahey, M., Hunt, R. W., Lim, I., Palmer, K. & Sundram, S., May 2025, In: Molecular Psychiatry. 30, 5, p. 1976-1984 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus) -
The interplay between birth weight and intraventricular hemorrhage in very preterm neonates—a retrospective cohort study
Piscopo, B. R., Malhotra, A., Hunt, R. W., Davies-Tuck, M. L., Palmer, K. R., Sutherland, A. E., Polglase, G. R., Allison, B. J. & Miller, S. L., Apr 2025, In: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology MFM. 7, 4, 10 p., 101628.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access
Prizes
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2011 Austin LifeSciences Prize for Basic Research
Palmer, K. (Recipient), 2011
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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2013 SRI/Pfizer President's Presenter Award
Palmer, K. (Recipient), 2013
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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2022 Henry Krum Prize for Clinical Services
Palmer, K. (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Australian & New Zealand Placenta Research Association (ANZPRA) New Investigator Award
Palmer, Kirsten (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Annual Congress of the Perinatal-Society-of-Australia-and-New-Zealand 2024
Kirsten Palmer (Invited speaker)
7 Apr 2024 → 10 Apr 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Webinar
Kirsten Palmer (Invited speaker)
31 Aug 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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3rd Australasian Brain Club
Kirsten Palmer (Invited speaker)
14 Nov 2024 → 15 Nov 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Annual Scientific
Kirsten Palmer (Invited speaker)
14 Oct 2024 → 16 Oct 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Waves of Change Conference
Kirsten Palmer (Invited speaker)
9 Aug 2024 → 11 Aug 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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Women warned against 'damaging' health advice on social media.
21/04/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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