Dr Katherine Benfer has been successful in receiving $50,000 Mary McConnel Career Boost Program for Women in Paediatric Research, through the Children’s Research Foundation (CHF). Dr Benfer is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow focusing on community-based early detection and intervention for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy in low-resource countries (Bangladesh and India).
Kath has led the ‘LEAP-CP (India): Learning through Everyday Activities with Parents’ project and has worked with a team of dedicated researchers, local site coordinators, and community disability workers from our partner organisations (Asha Bavan Centre, Dr BC Roy Postgraduate Institute of Paediatric Science, Child in Need Institute, Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy, and Apollo Gleneagles Hospital), have collaboratively worked to implement the intervention with local communities.
The LEAP-CP project has now finished recruitment in Kolkata India, with 749 babies with birth risk factors screened with the General Movements and HINE, and 142 babies at high risk of CP (12-40 weeks) recruited. Funding received from the CHF will further support Dr Benfer in carrying out her project in rural regions of Queensland and working with indigenous communities.
Contact Details: Dr Katherine Benfer, E: k.benfer@uq.edu.au
