About us
The Victorian Infant Collaborative Study (VICS) is the world’s largest longitudinal program of research that conducts observational studies to track the long-term health and well-being of children born preterm. VICS leads the world with its extensive follow up studies and wealth of health data accumulated over almost five decades.
VICS includes well established geographic cohorts recruited in distinct birth eras (from 1979-80 to most recent 2023 cohort) in the state of Victoria, Australia. These cohorts comprise babies born extremely preterm (before 28 weeks of pregnancy) or extremely low birth weight (<1000 g), along with contemporaneously recruited term-born babies, to helps us understand group differences. Through our extensive research, the cohorts have been followed up through childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood (mid-20s).
Outcomes from VICS’ research has transformed care for babies born preterm in the nursery and beyond, contributing significantly to a wealth of knowledge on a broad range of long-term health issues affecting the community.
Our Studies!
Learn more about the VICS cohorts
Visionaries
Dr Bill Kitchen, AM (Late)
Neonatal paediatrician (RWH 1965-1991)
Dr Bill Kitchen was one of the paediatricians at Royal Women’s Hospital who wanted to follow children born premature who had survived through childhood, to establish the health problems that arose as a consequence of neonatal intensive care. As Dr Kitchen began his follow-up studies, he started with children who were born in the Royal Women’s Hospital and later went on to collaborate with the other hospitals in the state of Victoria that cared for premature babies, in particular the Queen Victoria Hospital (now Monash Medical Centre), the Mercy Hospital for Women, and the Royal Children’s Hospital. It was from these early collaborations in the late 1970s that the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study group was established.
Prof Lex Doyle, AO (retired)
Neonatal paediatrician
Professor Lex Doyle is recognised as one of the world’s leading neonatal researchers and a leading expert on the long-term outcomes for premature babies. He co-created the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study Group which is continuing today; as well as working on longitudinal studies of children born very premature at the Royal Women’s Hospital, continuing from the late Bill Kitchen AM. He has made a significant impact in paediatrics research, leading multiple studies aimed at improving outcomes for our most vulnerable infants. Although retired, he remains an active member of the VICS program, guiding and mentoring the next generation of clinicians and researchers to continue the invaluable research.
Prof Jeanie Cheong
Neonatal paediatrician
Professor Jeanie Cheong is a consultant neonatologist at the Royal Women’s Hospital with expertise in the long-term health and developmental outcomes of infants born preterm. She is the present convenor of the Victorian Infant Collaborative Study program, having taken over the role from Professor Lex Doyle. She has secured many national and international grants and is the principal investigator and lead on the National Health and Medical Research funded study looking at the long-term health outcomes of adults born preterm. Under her steadfast leadership the VICS program has achieved worldwide recognition in the follow-up studies of VICS cohorts at various timepoints and the long-term health outcomes. Professor Cheong’s focus is on knowledge translation and community engagement, empowerment and advocacy.
Our People
Prof Jeanie Cheong
Professor Jeanie Cheong is the current VICS program convenor. She is based at the Royal Women’s Hospital and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Dr Julianne Duff
Dr Julianne Duff is a paediatrician. Julianne is based the Mercy Hospital for Women.
Dr Leah Hickey
Dr Leah Hickey is a neonatologist and newborn intensive care specialist at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Dr Alice Stewart
Dr Alice Stewart is a consultant neonatologist and Service Director, Monash Newborn. She is based at the Monash Children’s Hospital.
Dr Niranjan William
Dr Niranjan Abraham William is a consultant neonatologist and Clinical Lead for Research at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s at Sunshine Hospital, Western Health.
Coordinators
Dr Lauren Pigdon
Lauren is a psychologist and clinical neuropsychology registrar. She coordinates the VICS 2022-23 cohort. Lauren is based at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Royal Women’s Hospital.
Dr Ngoc Nguyen
Ngoc is a post-doctoral reseacher. She coordinates the VICS 2016-17 cohort and is based at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Dr Anjali Haikerwal
Anjali is a medical doctor and a post-doctoral public health researcher. She is the coordinator for the VICS 1991-92 cohort and is based at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Tania Woods
Tania is a nurse coordinator. She has been in contact with families at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Emily Johnston
Emily is a nurse coordinator and the Monash Newborn Growth and Development Clinic Coordinator. She has been in contact with families at the Monash Children’s Hospital.
Dr Julie Chen
Julie is a consultant neonatologist at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s, Western Health, and clinical lead for the neonatal long term follow-up clinic.
Elizabeth Noble
Elizabeth is a nurse coordinator. She is based at Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s, Western Health.
Dianne Malcolm
Dianne is the growth and development clinic coordinator. She is based at the Mercy Hospital for Women.
Kerry-Ann O’Connor
Kerry-Ann is a nurse coordinator. She has been in contact with families at the Mercy Hospital for Women.
Katie Thorn
Katie is a nurse coordinator. She has been in contact with families at the Mercy Hospital for Women.
Collaborators
Prof Peter Anderson
Professor, University of California Irvine & Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Dr Sam Axford
Neonatologist & PhD candidate, Royal Children’s Hospital & University of Melbourne.
Margaret Charlton
Educational, developmental and health psychologist, Monash Children’s Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital.
Kaitlyn Corso
Provisional psychologist & PhD candidate, Monash University and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Dr Noni Davis
Paediatrician, Mercy Hospital for Women.
Dr Elisha Josev
Senior clinical neuropsychologist & researcher, Mercy Hospital for Women, University of Melbourne & Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Dr Amanda Kwong
Physiotherapist & researcher, Royal Women’s Hospital, University of Melbourne & Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Sarah Ojiambo
Clinical nurse specialist, and data & research management coordinator, Joan Kirner Women’s & Children’s at Sunshine Hospital, Western Health.
Dr Joy Olsen
Occupational therapist & research officer, Royal Women’s Hospital & Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
Sarah Rostron
Senior clinical, education & developmental psychologist, Western Health.
Prof Alicia Spittle
Researcher & physiotherapist, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute & Royal Women’s Hospital.
Dr Penelope Stevens
Paediatrician, Monash Children’s Hospital.
A/Prof Karli Treyvaud
Clinical psychologist & associate professor, La Trobe University.
- Melissa Clark, Paediatrician.
- Dr Rheanna Mainzer, Biostatistician, Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
- Dr Anne-Marie Turner, General & developmental paediatrician, Mercy Hospital for Women.