Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Department of Perinatal Medicine Pregnancy Research Centre
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Dr Penny Sheehan
MB BS, RANZCOG, GDEB
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Dr Penny Sheehan is a Royal Women’s Hospital Staff Obstetrician and Senior Clinical Research Fellow in the Pregnancy Research Centre. She undertakes both clinical and basic science research projects.
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RESEARCH GOALS
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To investigate the endocrinology of human parturition with the eventual aim of understanding mechanisms of preterm labour and thereby developing new strategies for prevention of preterm labour
The endocrinological effects of obesity with the aim of understanding the aetiology of increased complications in obese pregnant To understand how traumatic birth experiences affect women and their families
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
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What triggers labour?: The role of 5beta dihydroprogesterone in
initiation of parturition
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The progesterone metabolite, 5beta dihydroprogesterone is known to reduce myometrial contractions in vitro. What happens to this metabolite and the enzyme which produces at that time of parturition?
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Investigating biochemical differences between pregnant women with high BMI and normal BMI
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Adipose tissue possesses many enzymes capable of contributing to the hormonal milieu. Is the enzyme composition different for adipose tissue taken from obese pregnant women. What difference does this make to pregnancy?
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Prevalence of negative birth experience and mental health disorders among women who have given birth at the Royal Women’s Hospital
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A follow-up study of 350 women delivering at RWH investigating factors associated with satisfaction with their birth experience and prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression amongst this
cohort.
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Birth Reflections
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A pilot study to trial a service for women who have experienced a traumatic birth.
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Control of uterine contractility: role of interstitial cells
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New myometrial cells have been identified, called ICC. These cells do not contract but may play a regulatory role in controlling uterine myometrium. It is the aim of this project to investigate the characteristics of these cells.
Assoc Prof Helena C. Parkington, Department of Physiology, Monash University
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Estimating the Risk of Preterm Birth
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Using a variety of parameters such as cervical length and biochemical markers, is it possible to assign women a risk for preterm birth?
Professor Roger Smith, Professor of Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Newcastle
Professor David Smith, Engineering Computational Biology Group, School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, The
University of Western Australia
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