Professor Shahla Meedya is Professor of Midwifery at the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research (CNMR), jointly appointed at Western Sydney University and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District (NBMLHD). She is a Senior Associate Editor of Women and Birth, reflecting her international standing in midwifery research.

Professor Meedya leads a program of research focused on the co-design and evaluation of breastfeeding educational interventions for women and their families, delivered through both digital and non-digital platforms, including the Milky Way Program, app, and website. Her work also encompasses quality improvement initiatives to translate evidence into clinical practice and the development of behaviour change models for women with high-risk pregnancies, particularly those managing diabetes and hypertension. Her doctoral research demonstrated that participation in the Milky Way Program significantly improved breastfeeding outcomes, with sustained effects up to six months postpartum. She subsequently led its translation into a mobile application now embedded in routine care. She is currently leading multiple breastfeeding research projects at NBMLHD.

She has published more than 85 peer-reviewed articles, attracting thousands of citations, and has contributed to national breastfeeding guidelines through her role with the Australian Baby Friendly Health Initiative. She has also represented Australia at the WHO BFHI Coordinators’ Meeting. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the rapid transformation of hospital-based parenting education into a digital model, ensuring continuity of care.

Professor Meedya has demonstrated extensive leadership across academia, research, and professional service. At Australian Catholic University (ACU), she held key roles including Head of the Midwifery Discipline, Course Coordinator, and Clinical Coordinator. As Course Coordinator, she led the establishment of the first midwifery programs at the Sydney campus, providing strategic leadership in curriculum design, accreditation, and implementation. She also chaired the National Midwifery Research Group, fostering a coordinated national research agenda and strengthening cross-institutional collaboration.

At the University of Wollongong, she served as an Executive Member of the Human Research Ethics Committee and held leadership roles including Head of Postgraduate Studies, Honours Coordinator, and Deputy Head of the Learning, Teaching and Curriculum Committee.

She is a member of the Midwifery Accreditation Committee (MAC) at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC), contributing to national standards and accreditation processes. Professor Meedya has also secured competitive research funding as a co-investigator on major projects funded through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and the Prevention Research Support Program (PRSP), with a combined value exceeding AUD $5 million.

Professor Meedya has supervised numerous higher degree research students and has mentored early-career researchers, contributing significantly to capacity building in midwifery and maternal health research.

‪Shahla Meedya‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬