Chair of Child Health - Professor Brian Darlow

MA, MB, BChir, MD (Cambridge), FRCP, FRACP, FRCPCH
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences
University of Otago, Christchurch

 

Key highlights for 2010:

• Significant research progress during the year
• High publication rate maintained (n=15)
• The third annual George Abbott Symposium “Acute Paediatrics, beyond the APLS…..” took place.
  
   

Review of 2010

At the end of April 2010 Professor Darlow stepped down as Head of the University Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, after 10 years in the position. He also stepped aside from his clinical commitments as a Neonatologist with the Canterbury District Health Board (CHDB), and he is now employed by the University of Otago, 0.5FTE. His nominal research time is unaltered by this change but in practice it is likely to be increased.

Professor Darlow, his team, and collaborators made significant research progress during the year. BOOST-NZ recruitment was completed and follow up assessments are ongoing, the BOOST-NZ add-on study to take MRI cranial scans at term equivalent also completed enrolment and data from the successful 22-year follow up of 70% the New Zealand national cohort of very low birthweight infants born in 1986 was used to prepare an Expression of Interest for funding of Phase 2 of the study.  INIS currently has two manuscripts under review, the ICON study’s latest manuscript has just been accepted by Paediatric Research, a manuscript has been submitted from study 7.*, an abstract has been presented from study 8.*, and three manuscripts are planned, while the Principal Investigators of the BOOST family of studies have submitted a manuscript on the protocol for the NeOProM study to BMC Pediatrics (*see Research Update and Publications for more details).

At the same time Professor Darlow maintained his high publication rate in 2010, publishing 15 papers (see Publications).

On 20^th/21^st August the third annual George Abbott Symposium took place in the Christchurch School of Medicine, when Professor Mike South from the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne was the George Abbott Visiting Professor. The meeting theme was “Acute Paediatrics, beyond the APLS (Advanced Paediatric Life Support)…”.  There were over 60 attendees, mostly general paediatricians from around New Zealand.

Professor Darlow also serves on the Medical & Scientific Advisory Committee