Susan Woolfenden

Professor Susan Woolfenden is a Professor of Community Paediatrics at the University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School, affiliated with the Central Clinical School. She is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health (FMH). Her research focuses on child health equity, neurodevelopmental disorders, and healthcare policy, with a strong emphasis on vulnerable populations including children with disabilities, refugees, and socioeconomically disadvantaged families. She has contributed to over 200 publications since 2000, including studies on vaccination equity in Fiji, cerebral palsy epidemiology, and autism screening in multicultural settings.

Education: Not explicitly listed in the provided text, but her academic position implies advanced training in medicine and public health.

Research Interests:

• Developmental surveillance and early intervention
• Neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy)
• Health systems strengthening for marginalized populations
• Social determinants of child health
• Global health equity in pediatric care

Key Recent Work: Her 2025 studies address vaccination barriers for disabled children in Fiji, policy gaps in child mental health, and quality-of-life outcomes for families with neurodevelopmental conditions. She collaborates with global health partners and government agencies to translate research into scalable health initiatives.

Grants/Advisory Roles: Not explicitly detailed here, but her publications indicate involvement in large-scale studies funded by Australian health agencies and international collaborations.

Labs/Teams: Lead researcher in the Watch Me Grow study (developmental surveillance) and the First 2000 Days framework for maternal-child health equity.