Professor Stuart Hooper

Preterm birth is the single greatest cause of death and disability in children. My research is focused on the causes and treatment options for conditions and diseases that commonly affect newborns and children, including prematurity, intrauterine growth restriction, brain injury and neonatal lung disease.

Learn more about my group's research

Areas of interest

Birth asphyxia Cerebral Palsy Fetal growth restriction (FGR) Preterm birth

Research group

Fetal and Neonatal Health

Biography

Following completion of a BSc with Honours and a PhD in Reproductive Endocrinology at Monash University, Professor Stuart Hooper completed postdoctoral training in fetal development at Monash University and the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Aligned with The Ritchie Centre’s Fetal and Neonatal Health Research group, Professor Hooper established the Fetal and Neonatal Laboratory to apply synchrotron technology to progress understanding of the physiology of fetal and neonatal lung development and the factors that regulate the transition to air breathing at birth. By understanding these changes, it will become possible to moderate the impact of pre-term birth and other problems such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia, on the health of the infant after birth; a diaphragmatic hernia allows abdominal contents to move into the chest cavity during fetal life, which causes the lungs to stop growing.

Professor Hooper has published more than 250 research and review scientific articles. He is a past president of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand and is currently the lead Investigator on a NHMRC Program Grant ($8.5M) and a USA NIH RO1 grant ($1.7M US).

MORE ABOUT PROFESSOR HOOPER’S RESEARCH
Milking the benefits – umbilical cord clamping done safely
Trial shows delayed cord clamping difference
Preparing healthcare providers for possible cord-clamp change

Publication highlights

Skiold, B., Wu, Q., Hooper, S.B., Davis, P.G., McIntyre, R., Tolcos, M., Pearson, J.T., Vreys, R., Egan, G.F., Barton, S.K., Cheong, J.L.Y., Polglase, G., 2014, Early detection of ventilation-induced brain injury using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion tensor imaging: An in vivo study in preterm lambs,PLoS ONE [P], vol 9, issue 4 (article e95804), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-8.
van Vonderen, J.J., Roest, A.A.W., Siew, M.L., Blom, N.A., Van Lith, J.M., Walther, F.J., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2014, Noninvasive measurements of hemodynamic transition directly after birth, Pediatric Research [P], vol 75, issue 3, Nature Publishing Group, United States, pp. 448-452.
Polglase, G., Miller, S.L., Barton, S.K., Kluckow, M., Gill, A.W., Hooper, S.B., Tolcos, M., 2014, Respiratory support for premature neonates in the delivery room: Effects on cardiovascular function and the development of brain injury, Pediatric Research [P], vol 75, issue 6, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 682-688.
Tingay, D.G., Wallace, M.J., Bhatia, R., Schmolzer, G.M., Zahra, V.A., Dolan, M., Hooper, S.B., Davis, P.G., 2014, Surfactant before the first inflation at birth improves spatial distribution of ventilation and reduces lung injury in preterm lambs, Journal Of Applied Physiology [P], vol 116, issue 3, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. 251-258.
Beker, F., Rogerson, S.R., Hooper, S.B., Wong, C., Davis, P.G., 2014, The effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on cardiac function in premature infants with minimal lung disease: a crossover randomized trial, Journal Of Pediatrics [P], vol 164, issue 4, Mosby, Inc., USA, pp. 726-729.
Bhatt, S., Alison, B.J., Wallace, E.M., Crossley, K.J., Gill, A.W., Kluckow, M., te Pas, A.B., Morley, C.J., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Delaying cord clamping until ventilation onset improves cardiovascular function at birth in preterm lambs, Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom, pp. 2113-2126.
Klingenberg, C., Sobotka, K., Ong, T.S.L., Allison, B.J., Schmolzer, G.M., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., Dawson, J., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Effect of sustained inflation duration; resuscitation of near-term asphyxiated lambs, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition [P], vol 98, issue 3, B M J Group, United Kingdom, pp. 222-227.
Hooper, S.B., Siew, M.L., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., 2013, Establishing functional residual capacity in the non-breathing infant, Seminars in Fetal and Neonatal Medicine [P], vol 18, issue 6, WB Saunders Co Ltd, UK, pp. 336-343.
Wheeler, K., Wallace, M.J., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., Fouras, A., Islam, M.S., Siew, M.L., Lewis, R.A., Morley, C.J., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Establishing lung gas volumes at birth: interaction between positive end-expiratory pressures and tidal volumes in preterm rabbits, Pediatric Research [P], vol 73, issue 6, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 734-741.
Schilleman, K., van der Pot, C.J., Hooper, S.B., Lopriore, E., Walther, F.J., Te Pas, A.B., 2013, Evaluating manual inflations and breathing during mask ventilation in preterm infants at birth, Journal Of Pediatrics [P], vol 162, issue 3, Mosby Inc, United States, pp. 457-463.
Hooper, S.B., Fouras, A., Siew, M.L., Wallace, M.J., Kitchen, M.J., te Pas, A.B., Klingenberg, C., Lewis, R., Davis, P.G., Morley, C.J., Schmolzer, G.M., 2013, Expired CO2 levels indicate degree of lung aeration at birth, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 8 (Art # e70895), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-11.
Leong, A., Fouras, A., Islam, M.S., Wallace, M.J., Hooper, S.B., Kitchen, M.J., 2013, High spatiotemporal resolution measurement of regional lung air volumes from 2D phase contrast x-ray images, Medical Physics [P], vol 40, issue 4, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, College Park USA, pp. 1-11.
van Vonderen, J.J., Kamar, R., Schilleman, K., Walther, F.J., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2013, Influence of the hand squeeze and mask distensibility on tidal volume measurements during neonatal mask ventilation, Neonatology [P], vol 104, issue 3, S Karger AG, Switzerland, pp. 216-221.
Galinsky, R., Hooper, S.B., Wallace, M.J., Westover, A.J., Black, M.J., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters cardiopulmonary and cerebral haemodynamics at birth in preterm lambs,Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 8, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 2127-2137.
Galinsky, R., Moss, T.J.M., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters cardiopulmonary but not cerebral hemodynamics during open endotracheal tube suction in preterm lambs, Pediatric Research [P], vol 74, issue 1, Nature Publishing Group, USA, pp. 48-53.
Galinsky, R., Hooper, S.B., Polglase, G., Moss, T.J.M., 2013, Intrauterine inflammation alters fetal cardiopulmonary and cerebral haemodynamics in sheep, Journal Of Physiology-London [P], vol 591, issue 20, Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd, UK, pp. 5061-5070.
Leong, A., Paganin, D., Hooper, S.B., Siew, M.L., Kitchen, M.J., 2013, Measurement of absolute regional lung air volumes from near-field x-ray speckles, Optics Express [P], vol 21, issue 23, Optical Society of America, Washington DC USA, pp. 27905-27923.
Brew, N., Hooper, S.B., Zahra, V.A., Wallace, M.J., Harding, R., 2013, Mechanical ventilation injury and repair in extremely and very preterm lungs, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 5 (e63905), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-10.
Bird, A.D., Choo, Y.L., Hooper, S.B., McDougall, A.R.A., Cole, T.J., 2013, Mesenchymal glucocorticoid receptor regulates the development of multiple cell layers of the mouse lung, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology [E], vol 50, issue 2, American Thoracic Society, USA, pp. 419-428.
van Vonderen, J.J., Narayen, N.E., Walther, F.J., Siew, M.L., Davis, P.G., Hooper, S.B., te Pas, A.B., 2013, The administration of 100% oxygen and respiratory drive in very preterm infants at birth, PLoS ONE [P], vol 8, issue 10 (Article #e76898), Public Library of Science, USA, pp. 1-5.
Galinsky, R., Polglase, G., Hooper, S.B., Black, M.J., Moss, T.J.M., 2013, The consequences of chorioamnionitis: preterm birth and effects on development, Journal of Pregnancy [P], vol 2013, issue Art # 412831, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, USA, pp. 1-11.
Siew, M.L., Wallace, M.J., Allison, B.J., Kitchen, M.J., Te Pas, A.B., Islam, M.S., Lewis, R.A., Fouras, A., Yagi, N., Uesugi, K., Hooper, S.B., 2013, The role of lung inflation and sodium transport in airway liquid clearance during lung aeration in newborn rabbits, Pediatric Research [P], vol 73, issue 4, Nature Publishing Group, United States, pp. 443-449.
McDougall, A.R.A., Hooper, S.B., Zahra, V.A., Cole, T.J., Lo, C.Y., Doran, T., Wallace, M.J., 2013, Trop2 regulates motility and lamellipodia formation in cultured fetal lung fibroblasts, American Journal Of Physiology-Lung Cellular And Molecular Physiology [P], vol 305, issue 7, American Physiological Society, USA, pp. 508-521.

Professor Stuart Hooper AM, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow

Areas of interest

Research group

Biography

Publication highlights

NHMRC Investigator Grants 2023

Milking the benefits – umbilical cord clamping done safely

Trial shows delayed cord clamping difference

New Head for The Ritchie Centre

2021 NHMRC Ideas Grants success

Cord clamping and CPR discovery could change practice

New neonatal paediatric chair

Preparing healthcare providers for possible cord-clamp change

Helping newborns—delayed cord clamping clinical trial

NHMRC Fellowship success

Clamping the umbilical cord later saves preterm babies’ lives

PhD student Dr Douglas Blank wins Faculty 3MT Competition

Reducing harm stemming from premature birth and birth asphyxia

Researcher honoured for career dedicated to saving our smallest patients

Professor Stuart Hooper AM, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow

Areas of interest

Research group

Biography

Publication highlights

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