Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Clinical Research unit
The Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinical Research Unit helps clinicians, educators, and allied health professionals develop knowledge, understanding, and research skills, fostering growth in paediatric endocrine and diabetes clinical practice, translation, and innovation.
About us
The Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinical Research Unit (the Unit) promotes excellence in clinical and translational research by encouraging medical, nursing, and allied health professionals to build their research knowledge, capability, and practice.
The Unit operates as a multidisciplinary collaborative hub integrated across the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, the University of Newcastle, and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). By bringing together frontline clinicians and researchers, the Unit ensures that scientific insights and technological advancements are rapidly translated into high-quality, family-centred care for children and young people across the Hunter New England Local Health District.
Our vision
Our vision is to enhance the health, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes of children and adolescents living with endocrine conditions and diabetes in our District and broader communities by:
- conducting high-impact clinical, epidemiological, and translational research.
- translating robust research evidence into innovative, safe, and effective health service delivery.
- empowering families through collaborative, multi-disciplinary evidence-based care models.
Our aims
- enhance the research capacity of clinicians and departments, specifically in clinical trials, diabetes technologies, and metabolic health.
- support the research, benchmarking, and quality improvement activities of medical officers, diabetes educators, dietitians, social workers, and nursing staff.
- embed evidence-based research practice into undergraduate, postgraduate, and specialist clinical training across all disciplines.
- develop and implement opportunities to improve research skills through professional development, mentoring, and education with academic partner organisations.
- promote higher research degrees (PhD, MPhil), clinical fellowships, and practitioner-led research opportunities.
- foster a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative multidisciplinary research environment.
How we can help
- Coordinating and executing investigator-initiated and sponsored clinical trials within paediatric endocrinology and diabetes.
- Managing trial governance, human research ethics (HREC) submissions, and site-specific approvals to ensure efficient study commencement and strict compliance.
- Designing and maintaining secure clinical databases (including REDCap) to guarantee data integrity, robust analysis, and patient privacy.
- Translating trial evidence into clinical practice pathways to directly optimise the day-to-day care and health outcomes of our patients.
- Fostering trial capacity by mentoring and supervising fellows, registrars, and allied health clinicians actively embedded in our clinical research projects.
- Disseminating outcomes globally through peer-reviewed publications and presentations, ensuring Hunter-led research shapes international standards of care.
For assistance or more information, email: HNELHD-JHCHDiabetesEndoSecretary@health.nsw.gov.au
Our team
- Professor Bruce King – Clinical Lead | University of Newcastle Profile
- Professor Patricia Crock – Senior Paediatric Endocrinologist & Clinical Academic | University of Newcastle Profile
- Dr Prudence Lopez – Paediatric Endocrinologist & Clinical Academic
- Dr Komal Vora – Paediatric Endocrinologist & Clinical Academic
- Dr Rowen Seckold – Paediatric Endocrinologist & Clinical Academic
- Dr Chris Lawrence – Paediatric Endocrinologist & Clinical Academic
- Professor Richard McGee – Professor and Chair of Paediatrics & Child Health | University of Newcastle Profile
- Dr Kevin Jones – Paediatric Endocrinology Fellow & Teaching Fellow
Our Credentialled Diabetes Educators lead and support clinical research focusing on diabetes self-management education, innovative technologies, and patient outcomes:
- Ms Michelle Neylan
- Dr Megan Paterson
- Ms Stacey Parke
- Ms Elsie Julian-Phelan
- Ms Daisy Denton
Our specialised paediatric dietitians conduct nutrition-focused research, specialising in carbohydrate counting methodologies, advanced nutrition in type 1 diabetes, and metabolic health:
- Dr Carmel Smart – Senior Paediatric Diabetes Dietitian & Clinical Research Fellow | University of Newcastle Profile
- Ms Marcelle Pappas
- Ms Emma Fisher
- Ms Katherine Prior – Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC), Endocrinology
- Ms Anne Sinclair – Senior Paediatric Social Worker
Affiliations
This list links to our key academic, clinical, and professional training partners:
- University of Newcastle (UON)
- Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI)
- John Hunter Children’s Hospital / Hunter New England Local Health District
- Australia and New Zealand Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (ANZSPED)
- Children's Inpatient Research Collaborative of Australia and New Zealand (CIRCAN)
- International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD)
Our projects
The Unit and its multidisciplinary team manage a diverse portfolio of clinical projects in collaboration with the University of Newcastle and HMRI. Our research utilises several methodologies, including:
- Investigator-initiated randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
- Clinical evaluations of advanced diabetes technologies (e.g., continuous glucose monitoring and automated insulin delivery systems).
- Retrospective cohort analyses, clinical audits, and registry-based benchmarking.
- Mixed-methods and qualitative research investigating family-centred care, psychosocial impacts, and educational delivery.
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses.