Speaker Profile

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	Biography As a specialist in maternal and foetal medicine, Professor Jon Hyett looks after pregnancies that have a high risk of complication - either for the mother, or for the foetus. Professor Hyett has worked at RPA for five years, having trained in obstetrics, maternal and foetal medicine in the UK before working in Australia. At Royal Prince Alfred, he leads a research group which has a strong clinical focus and a continual dedication to research to maintain the highest standards of obstetric care. The group’s main research interest is to predict risk of pregnancy complication, either at an early stage (12 weeks), or immediately before delivery (at 36 weeks). The group is currently working on a way to predict the risk of pre-eclampsia, a disease harmful to both the mother and foetus. If a risk is found at 12 weeks’ pregnancy, simple treatments like aspirin may prevent the onset of this disease. Professor Hyett’s team is also leading the way in Australia with non-intrusive ways to screen pregnant women. A simple blood test can be used to define the foetus’ blood group by testing minute amounts of foetal DNA found in the mother. The group is on the cusp of a breakthrough by testing how this method may be used to screen for Down Syndrome, and other complications, at as early as 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Through a National Health and Medical Research Council grant, the group is also studying the effect of rotating babies that are badly positioned during labour to reduce the rate of caesarean sections. High risk obstetrics is a rewarding and diverse speciality for Professor Hyett who is constantly kept busy with the range of research needs this field demands. Disclosure 1. I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a pharmaceutical, medical device or communications organization: 2. I have received a grant(s) or an honorarium from a commercial organization: Samsung, GE, Toshiba 3. I do not intend to make therapeutic recommendations for medications that have not received regulatory approval (i.e. "off-label" use of medication).

Biography
As a specialist in maternal and foetal medicine, Professor Jon Hyett looks after pregnancies that have a high risk of complication - either for the mother, or for the foetus. Professor Hyett has worked at RPA for five years, having trained in obstetrics, maternal and foetal medicine in the UK before working in Australia. At Royal Prince Alfred, he leads a research group which has a strong clinical focus and a continual dedication to research to maintain the highest standards of obstetric care. The group’s main research interest is to predict risk of pregnancy complication, either at an early stage (12 weeks), or immediately before delivery (at 36 weeks). The group is currently working on a way to predict the risk of pre-eclampsia, a disease harmful to both the mother and foetus. If a risk is found at 12 weeks’ pregnancy, simple treatments like aspirin may prevent the onset of this disease. Professor Hyett’s team is also leading the way in Australia with non-intrusive ways to screen pregnant women. A simple blood test can be used to define the foetus’ blood group by testing minute amounts of foetal DNA found in the mother. The group is on the cusp of a breakthrough by testing how this method may be used to screen for Down Syndrome, and other complications, at as early as 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Through a National Health and Medical Research Council grant, the group is also studying the effect of rotating babies that are badly positioned during labour to reduce the rate of caesarean sections. High risk obstetrics is a rewarding and diverse speciality for Professor Hyett who is constantly kept busy with the range of research needs this field demands.
Disclosure
1. I have/had an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with a pharmaceutical, medical device or communications organization: 2. I have received a grant(s) or an honorarium from a commercial organization: Samsung, GE, Toshiba 3. I do not intend to make therapeutic recommendations for medications that have not received regulatory approval (i.e. "off-label" use of medication).