John Newnham

John Newnham is a Professor at The University of Western Australia (UWA) Medical School, leading the Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at King Edward Memorial Hospital. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Peking University. His research focuses on fetal health, preterm birth prevention, and lifelong health outcomes from prenatal conditions. He pioneered the Raine Study, a landmark pregnancy-focused cohort study tracking 2,900 participants since 1989. He co-founded the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance, the first national program to reduce preterm births nationally. He has published nearly 400 articles, secured over $25M in grants, and received awards including Senior Australian of the Year (2020).

Education:

• MB BS MD from UWA (1976)
• Postgraduate training in obstetrics across Australia, Africa, UK, and US

Research Interests: John’s work explores fetal origins of adult disease, antenatal interventions to prevent preterm birth, and optimizing clinical practices. His Raine Study has revolutionized understanding of lifelong health impacts of fetal environment. Recent efforts include microbiome-based preterm birth prediction and omega-3 nutrition strategies.

Grants & Awards:

• Senior Australian of the Year (2020)
• Order of Australia (AM) (2013)
• Gold Medal, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (1981)

Advising & Grants:

• Principal Investigator on 41 grants totaling over $25M
• Funded by NIH (27 years) and NHMRC (30 years)

Labs & Teams: He leads interdisciplinary teams at UWA and collaborates nationally/internationally on preterm birth prevention, fetal medicine, and translational research. Key initiatives include the Artificial Placenta project and microbiome-based diagnostics.