9 June 2025

From NICU to lifelong health: How philanthropy is powering breakthroughs in neonatal medicine

The right care at the right time can make a lifetime of difference to the most vulnerable members of our society, as Professor Rod Hunt well knows. He has spent his life studying the newborn brain – its complex vulnerabilities, its capacity to recover, and the long-term impact of brain injury, regardless of the cause. “I love clinical neonatology but realised early that the opportunity to benefit the greatest number of patients was going to be through research and improved clinical practice,” he says. “So while I enjoy the privilege of caring for individual babies and families, I am driven by the urgent need to try to improve outcomes for the graduates of our neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).”

Professor Hunt joined Monash following the generous multi-million dollar gift from the Financial Markets Foundation for Children to establish this Chair. It sits across two institutions: the Ritchie Centre and the Monash Children’s Hospital. Both are at the cutting edge of translating basic research into patient outcomes during and after birth.

Professor Rod Hunt (left) discusses his work with Bill Gurry AO, Company Director of the Financial Markets Foundation for Children.

Professor Hunt’s work focuses on reducing perinatal brain injury and improving long-term outcomes, including further reductions in rates of cerebral palsy, which have declined significantly since the 1980s as care continues to improve. Since he joined Monash, he says his team has been able to make significant advances in protecting the brains and lungs of babies who are born too early.

“We know historically that these babies are incredibly vulnerable to brain injury, which has significant implications for the way they develop later in childhood,” he explains. “We have a structured and coordinated program of research that is Monash led and outwardly collaborative – and seeks to improve outcomes for all babies and their families.” Gifts such as this one, he says, have a lifelong and wide-ranging impact. “This generous gift has enabled us to directly make a difference to the lives of our smallest and most vulnerable patients, and everyone who loves and cares for them. The impact of that gift doesn’t stop when they leave the NICU. It continues for their whole life.”