Professor Dawn Elder

Dawn joined the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute Board in 2024.

Dawn is Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Otago Wellington. She graduated MB ChB from Otago Medical School in 1980, has specialist qualifications in both neonatal and paediatric sleep medicine and has also worked clinically in child protection.  She was head of the Dept of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Otago Wellington from 2013 -2022,  Deputy Dean from 2019-2022 and worked as a Paediatrician at Wellington Hospital from 1995-2023..

Dawn completed her PhD in 2010 on the subject of respiratory variability in infants and children. Her main research interests are in sleep and breathing in preterm and term infants and children including SUDI. Dawn has over 80 research publications with a current H-index of 21 and continues to be research active in retirement.

Dawn is a past member of the National Perinatal and Maternity Mortality and Family Violence Death Review Committees and is a past chair of the New Zealand Child and Youth Clinical Networks Governance Group in association with the Paediatric Society of New Zealand. She has also chaired both the Child Protection and Paediatric Sleep Medicine Clinical Networks. She has a current role as chair of the committee planning  the 150 Anniversary celebration for Otago Medical School to be held in 2025.