Global Research Obstetric Update 2025

GROU is a new two-day obstetric research conference this November, featuring over 20 leading researchers from Australia and around the world sharing practice-changing insights. Focused on clinically impactful research, it also offers an exclusive discount for GOU attendees.

Park Hyatt Melbourne, 1 Parliament Square, Melbourne , Victoria 3002

Event Date

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Summary

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Welcome to GROU, the Global Research Obstetric Update. 2 days, 20+ world leading clinical researchers and an unmissable opportunity to learn about practice changing insights. Brought to you by Professor’s Sue Walker, Stephen Tong and Tu’uhe Kaitu’u-Lino, this inaugural conference will be held Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th of November 2025, at the Park Hyatt Melbourne (that’s right, the same week as GOU!).

We invite you to hear the latest clinically informed research from local and international speakers. GROU is all about growth (get what we did with the name there!?). We want to encourage our research and clinical colleagues at every career stage to take a step towards researching with day to day clinical impact.

We encourage you to register now, and for anyone who has already purchased a ticket for GOU, we are offering a discount, read on below. A whole week with Mercy Perinatal… how could you say no?? 

Register

Speakers

Professor Lucy Chappell

  • Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Health and Social Care, UK 
  • Professor of Obstetrics, King's College London

Professor John Kingdom

  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
  • Gordon C. Leitch Chair and Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Toronto

Professor Wolfgang Henrich

  • Medical Director Department of Obstetrics, Charite Universitatsmedizin, Germany

Professor Rebecca Painter 

  • Professor, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands
  • Chair in Obstetrics and Women's Health, Erasmus University Medical Center

Professor Aris Papageorghiou

  • Director of Research, Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute, UK

Professor Andrew Shennan OBE

  • Clinical Director South London CRN, United Kingdom
  • Professor of Obstetrics, Department of Women and Children’s Health, Kings College London, UK

Professor Bob Silver

  • Chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, University of Utah Health, USA
  • Co-Director of Labor and Delivery, University of Utah Health

Professor Ben W. Mol

  • Professor, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Monash Health 
  • Leader of the Evidence based Women's Health Care Research Group 

Professor Cathy Cluver

  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist
  • University of Stellenbosch, South Africa 

Professor Sailesh Kumar

  • Head of Academy and Mayne Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Queensland 
  • Head of Mothers', Babies' and Women's Health Research Program, Mater Research 

Professor Caroline Homer AO

  • Leading Midwifery Researcher, Burnet Institute 
  • Co-Head Global Women's and Newborn Health Group, Burnet Institute 

Associate Professor Kirsten Palmer

  • Monash Health Head of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Monash Medical Centre 
  • NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, Monash University

Professor Craig Pennell

  • Chair in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Professor in Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • University of Newcastle, John Hunter Hospital 

Professor Jon Hyett

  • Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Western Sydney University 
  • Head of high risk obstetrics, Royal Prince Alfred Women and Babies 

Associate Professor Clare Whitehead

  • Maternal fetal medicine specialist and Head of Fetal Medicine, Royal Womens Hospital 
  • Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne 

Professor David A MacIntyre

  • Professor of Reproductive Systems Medicine, Imperial College UK
  • Section Head of Pregnancy, Parturition and Prematurity, Imperial College UK

Professor Amanda Henry

  • Program Head, Women's Health, The George Institute for Global Health 
  • Professor, Women's Health, University of New South Wales 

Professor Adrienne Gordon

  • Clinical Professor, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, University of Sydney 
  • Senior Staff Specialist Neonatologist, RPA Newborn Care, Sydney Local Health District

Professor Fabricio Costa

  • Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Griffith University 
  • MFM Consultant, Gold Coast University Hospital 

Professor Brett Manley

  • Director of Neonatal Research, Mercy Hospital for Women 
  • Professor of Neonatal Medicine, The University of Melbourne 

Professor Lisa Hui

  • Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Mercy Perinatal
  • Professor, The University of Melbourne

Professor Tu'uhevaha Kaitu'u-Lino

  • Deputy Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne 
  • Co-Lead of the Translational Obstetrics Group, Mercy Perinatal 

Associate Professor Fiona Brownfoot

  • Obstetrician, Mercy Hospital for Women 
  • Clinical Scientist, University of Melbourne 

Professor Jon Hyett

  • Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Western Sydney University 
  • Head of high risk obstetrics, Royal Prince Alfred Women and Babies 

Associate Professor Daniel Rolnik

  • Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash Health 
  • Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University 

Stay tuned for our program, released soon!

Our Program

Day 1 - Monday 24th November

08:00 - 08:30

Registrations Open
08:30 - 08:40

Welcome

08:40 - 09:05

Intrapartum lactate for fetal surveillance

Jonathan Morris - The University of Sydney
09:05 - 09:25

Outpatient versus inpatient management of VP: what's safest and best?

Daniel Rolnik - Monash University
09:25 - 09:50

Intrapartum US to assess labour progress

Wolfgang Henrich - Charite Universitatsmedizin, Germany
09:50 - 10:10

How's the baby really? New ways to assess intrapartum fetal well being

Fiona Brownfoot - Mercy Perinatal
10:10 - 10:25

Panel Discussion

10:25 - 10:50

Morning Tea
10:50 - 10:55

Session 2 - The future of preterm birth

10:55 - 11:20

Personalised medicine in preterm birth

Craig Pennell - University of Newcastle
11:20 - 11:45

The path to reducing preterm preeclampsia

Jon Hyett - Western University Sydney
11:45 - 12:05

The future of preterm birth trials

Clare Whitehead - The Royal Women’s Hospital
12:05 - 12:25

Steroids prior to term birth

Jo Said - Sunshine Hospital, Western Health
12:15 - 12:40

Panel Discussion

12:40 - 13:25

Lunch
13:25 - 13:30

Session 3 - Reducing stillbirth: creating opportunities

13:30 - 13:55

Research advocacy and the need for consumer engagement

Vicki Flenady - Mater Research
13:55 - 14:20

Reducing SB in high income settings

Adrienne Gordon - University of Sydney
14:20 - 14:45

An update on PlGF and the re-birth of uric acid!

John Kingdom - University of Toronto, Canada
14:45 - 15:10

Honey pots and bear traps in intrapartum trials

Sailesh Kumar - University of Sydney
15:10 - 15:25

Panel Discussion
15:25 - 15:50

Afternoon Tea
15:50 - 15:55

Session 4 - Pregnancy care beyond our borders
15:55 - 16:20

Improving maternal and newborn health in the current global context: the role of midwives

Caroline Homer - Burnet Institute
16:20 - 16:45

Politics and global health

Bob Silver - University of Utah Health, USA
16:45 - 17:00

Panel Discussion

Day 2 - Tuesday 25th November

08:20 - 08:30

Session 5 - Complicated pregnancy and the aftermath

08:30 - 08:55

Improving outcomes for infants born preterm

Brett Manley - Mercy Perinatal
08:55 - 09:20

Life after preeclampsia and other medical complications of pregnancy

Amanda Henry - The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales
09:20 - 09:45

Pregnancy's impact on the trajectory of medical conditions

Rebecca Painter - Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands
09:45 - 10:05

Prevention of CMV

Lisa Hui - Mercy Perinatal
10:05 - 10:20

Panel Discussion

10:20 - 10:45

Morning Tea
10:45 - 10:50

Session 6 - Reimagining care
10:50 - 11:15

Better prediction of adverse outcomes

Fabricio Costa - Griffith University
11:15 - 11:35

In home pregnancy care: what's feasible?

Kirsten Palmer - Monash University
11:35 - 12:00

Tools to assist care in the trenches

Andy Shennan - Kings College, London, UK
12:00 - 12:25

TBC

TBC
12:25 - 12:40

Panel Discussion
12:40 - 13:25

Lunch
13:25 - 13:30

Session 7 - Science transforming care

13:30 - 13:55

Something Amazing

David McIntyre - The University of Adelaide
13:55 - 14:15

Detecting FGR: better ways

Tu’uhevaha Kaitu’u-Lino - Mercy Perinatal
14:15 - 14:40

Deep Phenotyping of Fetal Growth Restriction

Aris Papageorghiou - Oxford Maternal and Perinatal Health Institute, UK
14:40 - 14:55

Panel Discussion

14:55 - 15:20

Afternoon Tea

15:20 - 15:25

Session 8 - Avoiding pseudoscience: responsible prioritisation, conduct, communication and translation of research
15:25 - 15:50

A word from the Chief Scientific Advisor

Lucy Chappell - Kings College, London, UK
15:50 - 16:15

Trusting Cochrane: how it really works

Cathy Cluver - University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
16:15 - 16:40

How we know what isn't so

Ben Mol - Monash University
17:00

Close

Registration

Tickets for the Global Research Obstetric Update 2025 are now on sale (all tickets are in-person ONLY). Click on the link here to grab your tickets.

  • General: $450 
  • Student: $300 

Are you attending GOU? We have a special discount offer available for our GOU2025 delegates. To join us for the whole week, at a discounted GROU rate, email mercyperinatal@mercy.com.au

Contact Us

Please reach out to Sarah and Bella with any questions via mercyperinatal@mercy.com.au.