Dr Kate Levett
Position
Adjunct Fellow, NICM Health Research Institute
NHMRC Early Career Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame Australia
Honorary Fellow at the Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health, UTS
Board member Chinese Medicine Council NSW
Biography
Kate completed her PhD at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University. Kate completed her PhD at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University. From her PhD, Kate has developed a comprehensive childbirth education program that incorporates complementary therapies for pain relief in labour. This program has been taken up by large maternity units in NSW, and is the basis of ongoing research in using complementary therapies to support women during pregnancy, childbirth and the early postpartum period.
Current Projects
Current Projects include:
- BirthCourse IPD PMA – NHMRC funded 4 year fellowship project, and BirthCourse Online – feasibility and acceptability of online education programs
- Chinese Birth Course – translation of the Birth Course for Chinese women – Auburn Hospital
- WOMB Study – Women’s experience of Monitoring during Birth - Collaboration with UTS School of Nursing and Midwifery – National survey to explore women’s and people’s experience of electronic fetal monitoring during labour
- PACS Study – Provision of antenatal education during Covid study - Collaboration with WSU School of Nursing and Midwifery – National survey to explore the experiences and capacities of maternity units to provide antenatal education during COVID
- AcuCare: Complementary therapies to support childbirth - women's and care providers' experiences. A qualitative analysis of individual and institutional barriers and enablers to use. Collaboration with NICM, WSU and MAMPS international collaborators.
- Antenatal education for VBAC – women’s experience of VBAC with complementary therapies for non-pharmacological support
- Antenatal education for induced labour support – women’s and partner’s experience of using acupressure support, taught in antenatal education, for non-pharmacological support during induced labours
- SWIPE Study - Sterile Water Injections to reduce back pain in labour - a quality assurance study
- VBAC Study - Adverse Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of VBAC at Norwest Private Hospital Population mapping and description of the Auburn obstetric population and factors relating to pregnancy and birth outcomes
- Hyperemesis gravidarum: The effectiveness of in-patient management and the potential impacts on pregnancy
- Neonatal Health Outcomes following Gestational Diabetes: A retrospective cohort study at Norwest Private Hospital
- Does a lack of access to a universal healthcare model delays women from seeking timely antenatal care?
- Adverse Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of VBAC at Norwest Private Hospital
- Does a low-lying placenta (2-5cm from the internal os) increase the risk of post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) in pregnant women? A feasibility and prevalence study in Auburn hospital.
- The Baby Friendly Health Initiative at Auburn Hospital.
- Breastfeeding project – does prenatal lactation support increase rates of breastfeeding in the postnatal period?
Research Interests
- Complementary therapies for women’s health and pregnancy related care
- Maternal health research and epidemiology
- Integrative models for health and research translation
Qualifications & Recognition
- PhD at NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University,
- Masters Public Health (Epidemiology) (Merit), University of Sydney,
- Bachelor in Education (Hons I) University of Sydney
- Adv. Dip. App. Sci (Acupuncture) Australian Institute of Applied Sciences, Brisbane.
- NHMRC Early Career Fellowship - 2019
- Ministerial appointment Chinese Medicine Council NSW - 2021
- People’s Choice Award: Univ. Notre Dame. Contribution to research development - 2016
- APA: Australian Postgraduate Award - 2011-2014
- UWS postgraduate award - 2011-2014
- 3MT: 3 minute thesis: School of Science and Health - 2013
- UWS: Best Oral Presentation – HDR conference UWS - 2012
- AHRDMA Best Oral Presentation –International Health Researchers and Data Managers Conference, Perth Australia - 2009
- AHRDMA Professional Development Award - 2008
- ARCS Students Scholarship – ICTS - 2007
Research & Publications
- For a complete list of my publications please see my publications page (opens in a new window)
- View my ResearchGate profile (opens in a new window)
Contact Details
| K.Levett@westernsydney.edu.au | |
| Telephone | +61 421 991 165 |
| Location | Westmead Campus (NICM) |