Meet Our Team

Dr Michelle Peate | Program Leader & Senior Research Fellow 
​BSc(Bioinfo), GDipSc, MScMed(RH&HG), PhD

Overview
As Program Leader, Dr Peate oversees a number of research projects in cancer, psychology & reproductive health. Her main goals are developing resources for people in need and ensuring that they are effective. Her research portfolio includes the development and implementation of many patient resources, including a fertility-related decision aid for young women with early breast cancer and a booklet on breast cancer and early menopause. Dr Peate is a 2011 NSW Young Tall Poppy and a current NBCF Early Career Fellow whose work is both nationally and internationally recognised.

Current projects include the development of several decision aids and tools relating to cancer and fertility. To obtain a full description of all studies Dr Peate is conducting refer to Research Studies. 

For Dr Peate's list of papers click here. Have a look at our resources page for the resources she has been involved in developing.

Dr Alice Hucker | Research Officer & Clinical Psychologist
BA(Psych, Hons), DPsych(Clinical)
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Overview
Dr Alice Hucker is a registered Clinical Psychologist with special interests in sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing, assisted reproduction, and the psychosocial and psychosexual impact of medical conditions. Her research experience includes studies in fertility preservation, male and female sexual difficulties, relationship education, mindfulness-based interventions and the development and implementation of online treatment programs. 

Alice also works as a Fertility Counsellor and has clinical experience in psychosexual counselling, multidisciplinary treatment of pelvic/sexual conditions, and mindfulness- and CBT-based interventions for a range of mental health issues.

Click here to take a look at Alice's sexuality blog and here to read all papers by Dr Hucker has written and contributed to

Nipuni Gamage | Research Assistant
BAppSc (Psych) (Honours)


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Overview
Nipuni Ratnayake Gamage is a Research Assistant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne/ Royal Women’s Hospital. During her Honours studies she developed a passion for research and decided to begin a career in research and plans to continue her postgraduate studies in the future. In this role she assists the emPoWeR Unit with the development of a number of pilot studies in the areas of fertility preservation, breast cancer & chemotherapy.
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In addition to working with the emPoWeR Unit, Nipuni also supports the research carried out by the Cancer Epidemiology and Intelligence Division at the Cancer Council Victoria. She has a strong interest in psych-oncology and onco-fertility.

Working With

Prof Martha Hickey| Deputy Head of Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
BA (Hons), MSc (Clin Psych), MBChB, MD
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Overview
Martha Hickey is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne, Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University, CT and Director of the Women's Gynaecology Research Centre (Royal Women's Hospital). She is in active clinical practice with a research expertise in menstrual disorders and menopause.

Professor Hickey continues in active clinical service as a consultant gynaecologist at The Royal Women’s Hospital and her research in reproductive endocrinology continues to grow in the following areas:  Abnormal uterine bleeding, Menopause,  Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Teenage Pregnancy.

Dr Jane Girling| Senior Research Fellow
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Overview
Dr Girling is a Senior Research Fellow in the Gynaecology Research Centre in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne.

Her research interests are in uterine biology and women’s health, with a particular focus on common gynaecological problems including endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding and uterine fibroids. Dr Girling also has an interest in the impact of menstrual pain and heavy bleeding on girls and their families, and how we can better assist girls and young women to live a full and happy life.

Dr Yasmin Jayasinghe | ___________
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Overview
Dr Sousa has led and collaborated on many projects and has made significant advances in the field of genitourinary and sexual health after breast cancer, emerging as a leading expert in this field. She has published in peer reviewed journals, received many grants and awards and presented at national and international conferences. Her

Dr Jennifer Marino| Research Fellow
BA, BSN, MPH, PhD

Overview
Dr Marino is an epidemiologist trained at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington. She came to Australia in 2008 to join the Robinson Institute to build her expertise in longitudinal studies and life course epidemiology, and in 2011, she joined the Gynaecology Research Centre at the University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital.

Dr Marino specialises in women’s reproductive and sexual health throughout the lifespan. Her current projects include studies of health-compromising behaviour in the Western Australia Pregnancy Cohort (Raine Study), of sexuality among postmenopausal female breast cancer patients, and of childbearing decisions among participants in Adelaide’s Life Journeys of Young Women Project.

Dr Mariana Sousa | Early  Career Researcher
MD, PhD

Overview
Dr Sousa has led and collaborated on many projects and has made significant advances in the field of genitourinary and sexual health after breast cancer, emerging as a leading expert in this field. She has published in peer reviewed journals, received many grants and awards and presented at national and international conferences. Her expertise lies in breast cancer, oncofertility, reproductive health, cancer genetics, menopause and services evaluation.
 
Dr Sousa’s goals are to continue delivering novel breast cancer research with impact through large multi-centre trials and to promote translation of research into practice. Her post-doctoral research projects are dedicated to addressing the needs of women with breast cancer and in developing services and testing interventions to support medical, nursing and allied health teams in providing the best possible health care to breast cancer survivors.

Current Students

Zobaida  Edib | PhD Scholar
I am a Public Health Researcher and overseas trained Medical Doctor. I completed my MBBS in 2011 from Dhaka University, Bangladesh and MPH in 2014 from International Medical University, Malaysia with distinction. I am currently completing my PhD with the emPoWeR Unit under the supervision of Dr Peate.

My research work mainly focuses on women’s health epidemiology, cancer epidemiology and prevention of non-communicable diseases, although I have worked with diverse research projects throughout my research career. My research track record includes work on psychosocial health of women with breast cancer and cervical cancer, reproductive health of women, behavioural risk factors for prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases and health promotion research.

Emma Steele | Masters Scholar
Emma is currently completing a Masters of Public Health at the University of Melbourne, majoring in sexual and reproductive health and epidemiology. Her other main interests are women's health and health program evaluation. Her background is in medical imaging - her current role is MRI Supervisor at The Royal Women's Hospital.

Her project, 'EndoNeeds', aims to explore the unmet clinical and psychosocial needs of women with endometriosis through the development and administration of an online survey. It is hoped that the results of the survey can be used to direct future research and interventions in this area

​Sherine Sandhu - Honours Scholar

Janelle Leong | Honours Scholar

Past Students

Sadunee Jayasuriya
I completed a BMedSc (Hons) in 2016 under the supervision of Dr Michelle Peate and her co-supervisors. My research explored acceptance and regret in families being offered fertility preservation at the Royal Children’s Hospital. I chose this project as I’m interested in Women’s and Children’s health and paediatric oncofertility is the perfect way to combine the two! In the future, I hope to continue delving into research whilst practicing medicine.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my honours year and working with the emPoWeR Unit. I would recommend it to all students considering research.

Catherine Allingham
My undergraduate degree inspired a passion for medical research in a clinical setting and I was fortunate to be able to undertake an Honours year with the emPoWeR research group at RWH and RCH. As part of my project I worked on a prototype fertility preservation decision aid – a tool to help parents of children with cancer whose fertility may be at risk. It was a challenging, but exciting project. The support and mentorship of supervisors and fellow researches, who are passionate about their research, was invaluable.

In the future, I hope to be able to contribute to clinical research both as medical student and later as a physician.