Abstract

Leonie Callaway MBBS (Hons I) FRACP PhD GCE Lead holds a conjoint position as Head, Royal Brisbane Clinical School, and Senior Specialist in Obstetric and Internal Medicine at the Royal Brisbane and Women-s Hospital. Leonie-s work as an Obstetric Physician involves working in a team to provide care for women who have medical problems prior to, during or after pregnancy. Common clinical conditions include gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and thromboembolism. Leonie has a particular interest in very high risk pregnancy, including pregnancies associated with obesity, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, systemic lupus eryethematosis and liver disease. Leonie completed her PhD in the area of obesity and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Her ongoing research interests include obesity and inflammation in pregnancy, the role of the maternal metabolism on fetal programming and neonatal body composition, lifestyle interventions in pregnancy, the role of pregnancy in unmasking the risks of future chronic disease and probiotics for the prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus. With her research team and collaborators, Leonie has been awarded in excess of 5 million dollars in research funding. Leonie currently supervises a number of PhD scholars, and has supervised several students to successful completion. Many of her PhD scholars have been awarded prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council postgraduate scholarships. Leonie is proud of the fact the PhD scholars in her research team have an outstanding track record of publications, grant funding, prizes and awards and timely completion, all while recognizing the importance of commitments to family and personal life. Leonie is currently President Elect for the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society, Deputy Chair of the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council, and Co-Chair of the Queensland Clinician Scientists Association. She has an active interest in guideline development to support translation of research into clinical practice. Leonie has had an interest in medical education both at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She previously chaired a number of national education committees for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Leonie was the lead author for the current curriculum for basic physician training. Several years ago, Leonie led an effort to completely revamp the year one clinical coaching program. This program remains one of the highest rated within the School of Medicine. For this work, Leonie and her colleagues were recognised with a UQ Award for the Enhancement of Student Learning in 2008.