Professor Jane Halliday is an epidemiologist with a PhD in the field of human genetics and has worked at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute for 30 years, beginning as a part-time Research Associate when it was called the Murdoch Institute for Research into Birth Defects. In 1992 she was awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Public Health Research and Development Committee Scholarship to undertake a PhD. On completion of this in 1994 she held two half-time positions from 1995 to 2001: Senior Epidemiologist, Murdoch Institute and Manager and Epidemiologist in charge, Victorian Perinatal Data Collection Unit and Birth Defects Register, Victorian Department of Human Services. In 2001 Jane was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Victorian Clinical Genetic Service and from 2002 to 2009 became the Consultant Epidemiologist to the Victorian Birth Defects Register. In this period Professor Halliday continued to receive NHMRC personal support through a Population Health Career Development Award (2002 to 2006) and a Senior Research Fellowship Level A (2007 to 2011). She was President of the Australasian Epidemiology Association from 2005 to 2008. In 2008, Jane was given a Community Acknowledgement Award from the Spina Bifida Foundation Victoria, and a Certificate of Appreciation, in recognition of her “invaluable contribution to Health Pregnancies, Healthy Babies for Koori Communities Project". She was on the NHMRC Principal Committee: Human Genetics Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2012, made an Honorary Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne and in 2012 was awarded an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship Level B.

Genetics