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Panellists

Dr Anthea Lindquist

Obstetrician and Perinatal Epidemiologist, The University of Melbourne

A RANZCOG Fellow, in 2009 Anthea paused her clinical training in obstetrics and gynaecology to move to the UK to undertake a PhD in Perinatal Epidemiology at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. She returned to Melbourne in 2012 to continue specialist training and completed her PhD in perinatal epidemiology concurrently, ultimately submitting her thesis in 2013. She finished specialist training in 2017 and has since held dual appointments as consultant Obstetrician at the Mercy Hospital for Women and Senior Lecturer (perinatal epidemiologist) at the University of Melbourne.

She recently co-authored Vaginal birth after caesarean increases the risk of serious perineal tear by 20%, our large-scale review shows, published in The Conversation on 28 January 2022, following it being published in BJOG.

Amy Dawes

CEO and Co-Founder, the Australasian Birth Trauma Association

Amy is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Australasian Birth Trauma Association (ABTA), a not-for-profit organisation focused on the recognition and understanding of birth-related trauma. With a multi-disciplinary advisory group of midwives, physiotherapists, obstetricians, gynaecologists, mental health clinicians and clinical researchers, she is working to develop resources and strategies to prevent and effectively manage birth-related trauma. Her vision is for safer births, better healing. 

Amy is a member of RANZCOG’s Informed Birth Working Group.

Dr Rachael McConnell

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Dunedin Hospital

An elected Member of Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku, Rachael works as an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Dunedin Hospital.

Interests: High risk pregnancy; diabetes in pregnancy; Pre-conceptual Counselling & first trimester assessment & management; General Gynaecological Services including medical and surgical management of Menstrual Disorder and ovarian pathology; Genital organ prolapse and pessaries; Menopause disturbance; Operative Hysteroscopy; and Open & Laparoscopic Surgery.

Dr James Harvey

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

After training at Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, James spent five years working in the UK at tertiary obstetric centres. Since returning to Australia, he has worked in private general O&G practice (30 years) and has held public hospital appointments as Senior Visiting Specialist at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital then Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, being Head of an Obstetric Unit at each of these hospitals. He was the primary author of the rewrite of the RANZCOG statement ‘Birth After Previous Caesarean Section’ in 2013 and has always held a strong belief in the involvement of women in decision making regarding their preferred mode of birth after previous caesarean, based on information relating their chances of successful VBAC and the risks and benefits of each option.

Host

Dr Benjamin Bopp

President, RANZCOG

Ben has been a specialist Obstetrician Gynaecologist for more than 20 years. He is currently the Director of Obstetrics at Gold Coast University Hospital, a position he has held for the last three years. Previously, he worked as a generalist (obstetrics, gynaecology and IVF) in private practice.

In addition to previous involvement with the College Women’s Health Committee, Continuing Professional Development and Revalidation Committee, and Education Strategy Committee, Ben has been actively involved with the SIMG Assessment Committee, which he currently Chairs, and is also Chair of the College’s Australian Workforce Working Group.