The University of Western Australia

W/Prof Karen Simmer

Co-Director
Centre for Neonatal Research and Education

Contact details

Address

Centre for Neonatal Research and Education
The University of Western Australia (M550)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

9340 1262

Fax

9340 1266

Email

karen.simmer@uwa.edu.au / karen.simmer@health.wa.gov.au

Qualifications

MB BS Syd., PhD Lond., GradCertTertEd Flin., MRCP(UK), FRCPCH(UK), FRACP

Biography

Karen Simmer is Professor of Newborn Medicine at The University of Western Australia. She is Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Units at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth. She is Director of the Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank (human milk bank) which was established in 2006 and is viewed around the world as the 'best practice' human milk bank.
She has paediatric specialist qualifications from the Australasian and British Colleges and was awarded a PhD in perinatal nutrition from London University.
Prof Simmer is the Co-Lead of the WA Women’s and Newborns’ Network. She is Chair of the Nutrition Reference Group for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Her current research interests are in neonatal nutrition and infection.

Key research

Nutrition of the preterm infant – enteral and parenteral

Human milk and breastfeeding

Human milk banks

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and child development

Neonatal infection – innate immunity and late-onset sepsis

Publications

Karen Simmer has published 134 original peer-reviewed research articles since 1983. A full listing of these is available from the 'research profile and publications' link at the bottom of this page. A selection of Prof Simmer's most important papers follows:

Strunk T, Doherty D, Jacques A, Simmer K, Richmond P, Kohan R, Charles A, Burgner D.
Histological chorioamnionitis is associated with reduced risk of late-onset sepsis in preterm infants. Pediatrics 2012; Jan 129(1): e134-41.
(data to suggest early fetal exposure to infections primes the immune system such that the preterm infant is less vulnerable to sepsis.)

Makrides M, Gibson RA, McPhee AJ, Collins CT, Davis PG, Doyle LW, Simmer K, Colditz PB, Morris S, Smithers LG, Wilson K, Ryan P.
Neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants fed high-dose docosahexaenoic acid: a randomised controlled trail. JAMA 2009:301 (2):175-82.
(68 citations in 3 years, largest RCT in most at-risk population of preterm infants)

Hartmann BT, Pang WW, Keil AD, Hartmann PE, Simmer K.
Best practice guidelines for the operation of a donor human milk bank in Australia. Early Human Dev 2007; 83(10): 667-73.
(establishment of risk management for donor human milk in an unregulated environment. System subsequently adapted nationally and internationally)

Deshpande GC, Simmer K, Mori T, Croft K.
Parenteral lipid emulsions based on olive oil compared with soybean oil in preterm (<28 weeks) neonates: a randomised controlled trail, J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009; 49(5): 619-25.
(First of 3 RCT of novel lipid emulsions in very preterm infant, vulnerable to nutritional disturbance and disability)

Dunstan JA, Simmer K, Dixon G, Prescott SL.
Cognitive assessment of children aged 2.5 years after maternal fish oil supplementation in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial. Arch Dis Child, Fetal and Neonatal Ed 2008; 93(1): F45-50, published with editorial.
(one of the earliest papers to demonstrate the safety to the fetus of high-dose fish oil supplements re growth and potential benefit re: neurodevelopment)

Brooks JM, Travadi JN, Patole SK, Doherty D, Simmer K.
Is surgical ligation of patent ductus arteriosis necessary? The Western Australian experience of conservative management. Arch Dis Childhood, Fetal and Neonatal Ed 2005; 90: 235-39.
(38 citations, one of the first papers with data to demonstrate that surgical intervention of PDA may not be necessary and may even be harmful)

Makrides M, Neumann M, Simmer K, Gibson RA.
Are long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids essential nutrients in infancy? Lancet 1995; 345: 1463-68.
(342 citations, innovative origin clinical science)

Makrides M, Neumann MA, Byard RW, Simmer K, Gibson RA.
The fatty acid composition of brain and erythrocytes in breast and formula fed infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1994;60:189-194.
(430 citations, one of the earliest papers to demonstrate that dietary fat influences brain composition and therefore likely function)

Simmer K, Lort-Phillips L, James C, Thompson RPH.
Double-blind randomised trial of zinc supplementation in pregnancy. European immerJournal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991;45:139-144.
(68 citations, prevention of fetal growth retardation)

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Winthrop Professor of Newborn Medicine, The University of Western Australia.
Co-Director, Centre for Neonatal Research and Education.
Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Units, King Edward Memorial and Princess Margaret Hospitals.
Director, Perron Rotary Express Milk Bank.

Funding received

NHMRC Public Health Research & Development Project Grant Gibson/Simmer, 1993 - $48,000, 1994 - $61,000, 1995 - $61,000
A critical examination of formulas in the nutrition of term infants.

Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation, 1996-1997
Simmer, Leeson, Makrides - $40,000
A randomised clinical trial of dietary intervention to prevent iron deficiency in breastfed infants.

PMH Foundation, 2002
K Simmer, I Gollow, L Jacobson, D Langton, L Monterossi. - $6,000
Ankyloglossia: does frenulotomy affect breastfeeding outcomes.

Women and Infants Research Foundation, 2002
Henderson, Newnham, Hartmann, Simmer. $10,000
Effect of antenatal steroids on the initiation of lactation in the ewe.

Women and Infants Research Foundation, 2002
D Burgner, K Simmer. - $14,000
Immunogenetic susceptibility to neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis.

Raine Medical Research Foundation.
K Simmer. $53,589 2003, $66,950 2004.
Development and use of a fortifier from mothers milk to supplement breast milk expressed for preterm infants.

Women and Infants Research Foundation, 2003
G McLeod, J Sherriff, K Simmer, P Hartmann. - $14,000
Feeding the preterm infant with chronic lung disease post discharge.

Women and Infants Research Foundation, 2005
Simmer K, Hartmann B. - $5,000
The development of methods for quality control in human milk banking.

Women and Infants Research Foundation, 2005
Sharp M, Simmer K, Pillow J. $11,635
Airflight safety of preterm infants returning to referring hospitals in WA.

Princess Margaret Hospital Research Foundation, 2005
Simmer K, Pillow J. $9,895
Does ACE influence chronic lung disease and lung function in preterm neonates.

UWA Research Grants, 2004
D Burgner, K Simmer
2004 - $26,500
2005 - $8000
Determinants and consequences of immunological function in preterm infants.

Women and Infants Research Foundation.
Rampono J, Simmer K.
2004 $13,316
Depression in pregnancy, treatment with SSRI-SNRI antidepressants and effects on the newborn.

Women and Infants Research Foundation.
Travadi J, Patole S, Simmer K.
2004. $6,000
Effect of pentoxifylline and recombinant platelet-activating factor acetyl hydrolase in a neonatal rat model of necrotising enterocolitis.

NHMRC
Makrides, Gibson, McPhee David, Simmer, Morris. (Via University of Adelaide)
ID 520322 2003
$137,949, 2004 $180,782, 2005 $223,619, 2006 $133,043, 2007 $72,850
DHA for the improvement of neurodevelopment in preterm infants.

NHMRC ID 513847. 2008- 2010
$422,550
Peter Richmond, David Burgner, Ofer Levy, Andrew Currie, Karen Simmer, Dorota Doherty.
Innate immunity in premature infants: the role of Toll like receptors in susceptibility to infection.

NHMRC ID 572548. 2008 application
Burgner, Richmond, Currie, Simmer, Strunk, Levy
A prospective study of the development of innate immunity in very preterm infants and how this leads to increased susceptibility to late onset neonatal sepsis
2009: $183,250, 2010: $243,250, 2011: $188,750

ROTARY. Thornleigh & Belmont Clubs and Stan & Perron Charitable Trusts.
Simmer K, Hartmann P.
Human Milk Bank and laboratory.
$220,000.

Baxter. $20,000 Randomised clinical trial in extremely preterm infants of Intralipid v Clinoleic.

NHMRC 2009 project Grant. 571309 W Tarnow-Mordi, N Evans, J Newnham, D Osborn, D Isaacs, K Simmer, Australian Placental Transfusion Study $2,696,700.

SHRAC State Health Research Advisory Council 2008. Doherty, Larson, Hornbuckle, Bradley, Simmer, Newnham. Models for Improved Maternal Care for Rural and Remote Aboriginal Women. $112.176

NHMRC ID1004494 – 2011-2013
$314,865.20
Simmer K, Foster J, Smith M
Effect of high dose fish oil supplementation during infancy and FADS 1 & 2 genetic polymorphisms on neurocognitive development, executive functioning and scholastic performance.

NHMRC ID 1006053 – 2011-2015
$1,301,309.60
Hunt R, Colditz P, Inder T, Badawi N, Simmer K, Liley H, Osborn D, Cheong J, Wright T
A study of the impact of treating electrographic seizures in newborn infants with encephalopathy.

NHMRC ID 572548. 2009
2009: $183,250, 2010: $243,250, 2011: $188,750
D Burgner, P Richmond, A Currie, K Simmer, T Strunk, O Levy
A prospective study of the development of innate immunity in very preterm infants and how this leads to increased susceptibility to late onset neonatal sepsis.

Research profile

Research profile and publications