Screening for GDM - are we getting it right?

Screening for GDM – are we getting it right?

A symposium for health professionals

Are you a health professional interested in learning more about the current challenges, research and innovations in screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)?

Diabetes WA and partners are hosting a collaborative symposium for health professionals supporting individuals with GDM. This event will focus on GDM screening, with an emphasis on current challenges and the latest research to improve screening and equitable care for pregnant women in Western Australia.

We will explore the need to improve the GDM screening process, the experience for mothers and clinical outcomes.

Join us for an insightful evening of discussion with some leading voices in the field of GDM research and healthcare.

Professional CPD – A certificate of attendance will be provided to support your CPD logging.

Register Here to secure your ticket.

This event is free to attend.

Date Monday, 18 August 2025
Time: 6pm – 8.30pm
Location: The Auditorium, TSH (Teach Speak Hear, formerly Telethon Speech & Hearing), 36 Dodd St, Wembley WA 6014

Evening Schedule

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Networking Sundowner
Enjoy refreshments and connect with fellow professionals.

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Presentations & Panel Discussion
Hear from leading researchers and health professionals and engage in a thought-provoking discussion on GDM screening and equitable care.

Guest Speakers

Professor Claire Meek
Dr Emma Jamieson
Erica Spry

Panel Members

Dr Zoe Bradfield
Dr Janet Hornbuckle
Associate Professor Lewis MacKinnon
Tara Stevens

Speaker biographies

Claire Meek is Professor of Chemical Pathology and Diabetes in Pregnancy at Leicester Diabetes Centre. She runs the diabetes in pregnancy service at University Hospitals Leicester, which includes a large, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse cohort of women with early onset type 2 diabetes (EoT2D). She runs observational and interventional studies to improve clinical outcomes for women with diabetes in pregnancy. Professor Meek started her research career at the University of Cambridge, studying nutritional interventions to improve glycaemia and weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes. Postdoctorally, she contributed to the CONCEPTT trial, assessing real time continuous glucose monitoring in type 1 diabetes in pregnancy, translated into clinical care internationally. In 2018, she received a Diabetes UK intermediate clinical fellowship to run a RCT of a dietary intervention in gestational diabetes (DiGest trial; recently finished). She also received a Future Leaders’ Award from the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (2019) in association with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, assessing progression to EoT2D after gestational diabetes. Professor Meek has received several other national and international awards including from the American Diabetes Association, the European Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group, the Association of Physicians (UK) and the British Medical Foundation.

Dr Emma Jamieson is a Future Health Research and Innovation Fund Translational Research Fellow based in the Southwest region. As part of a team of state-wide researchers, clinicians and community members, she conducts collaborative community and health services research to improve health outcomes in rural and remote Australia. The predominant focus of her research is improving outcomes for people with diabetes; her PhD on screening for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in rural and remote communities has led to implementation of improved screening pathways for pregnant women and a collaboration with the National Harmonisation Glucose Preanalytical Working Party. Prior to her time with RCSWA, her focus was on pancreatic islet biology and transplantation research at St Vincent’s Institute (Melbourne) and Harry Perkins Institute (Perth).

Erica Spry is a local Traditional Owner of the Bardi Jawi native title lands and is a known prominent leader in the Kimberley region. She has extensive experience and expertise in community and cultural brokerage, demonstrating active engagement roles with the grass root communities from townships to very remote Aboriginal communities for more than 30 years. She has consistently led and contributed to a range of real, positive, needed outcomes for Kimberley Aboriginal people, in the areas of land management, legal aid, health research and others, especially addressing health disparities. Erica is an Aboriginal Senior Research Officer with Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS), part of the Kimberley Aboriginal Research Health Alliance (KAHRA) and a Research Fellow with the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA), University of Western Australia (UWA). She is currently working on various collaborative research projects, child maternal health, diabetes and others including as a co-lead investigator for the Be Healthy project and ORCHID Study.

Dr Zoe Bradfield is an Associate Professor of Midwifery with a joint appointment between Curtin University and the Women and Newborn Health Service in Western Australia. Zoe also holds an adjunct at the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia and has an Honorary Appointment at the Burnet Institute in Victoria. Zoe has worked as a nurse and a midwife across a variety of rural and metropolitan settings for more than 25 years. Her research focuses on clinical care and health systems innovations to improve outcomes for women, their families and society. Her translational and transformational research programs have attracted >$26M in funding and received several high-impact awards. Zoe is an NHMRC Early Leadership Fellow and is the President of the Australian College of Midwives, the peak professional body for midwifery in Australia.

Dr Janet Hornbuckle is a Specialist Obstetrician and a RANZCOG certified Maternal Foetal Medicine (MFM) Specialist. In addition to a staff specialist position at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), she is the Lead for the Women and Newborn Health Network and Medical Advisor in the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office at the Department of Health, Western Australia. Janet was the lead obstetrician for the Diabetes in Pregnancy Service at KEMH from 2004-2015 and has recently rejoined the service. She has been involved in Maternity Services Reform since 2007. Her research interests include the short and long-term outcomes of obstetric interventions and the clinical safety and cost effectiveness of models of maternity care. Janet is passionate about enhancing the patient journey, supporting patient-centred care, facilitating equity of access to appropriate women’s health services and achieving equity in health outcomes for women and their families across WA.

Associate Professor Lewis MacKinnon is a Western Australian GP with leadership roles in clinical practice, research and medical education and was awarded the title of RACGP WA GP of the Year in 2019. He is the Founder and Principal GP at Skye Medical clinic, which was named WA GP Practice of the Year in 2022 by the RACGP. He serves as Director of Clinical Education and General Practice at Curtin Medical School and continues as a senior Medical Educator for RACGP mentoring WA’s future GPs. He holds academic and governance appointments across research and health sectors, including as a board member of the North Metropolitan Health Service. He chairs North Metropolitan’s Safety and Quality committee and is a member of the WA Health Department’s Syphilis Outbreak Response Group and the Maternal Mortality Committee. An advocate for community-based research and general practice innovation, A/Prof MacKinnon leads projects on chronic disease management, longitudinal care, and training pathways. He is also a co-author of the Australian Commentary on the US DHHS HIV Guidelines and is nationally recognised for his work in sexual health and primary care policy.

Tara Stevens is a credentialled diabetes educator dedicated to improving diabetes care across Western Australia. At Diabetes WA, she leads innovative initiatives such as the Virtual Gestational Diabetes Service, which delivers essential care to pregnant women in remote communities, reducing the need for travel and enhancing health outcomes. At Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), Tara works closely with children and adolescents living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, providing comprehensive education and support to help families manage the condition effectively. Her approach emphasises empowerment, early intervention and continuity of care, ensuring young patients receive the tools and confidence they need to thrive. Tara brings a wealth of experience and a patient-centered perspective to the symposium, particularly in the areas of gestational diabetes and rural health innovation

Parking

Ample free parking is available along Dodd Street, directly outside TSH. Overflow parking is also available next to Bold Park Community School, pictured below.

Accessibility

Access is available for individuals of all abilities. Please let us know your requirements upon registration so we can provide tailored parking information.