Jeff Keelan gained his PhD from the University of Auckland in 1994, and moved from Auckland to Perth WA in 2007. Prior to his doctoral research, he worked in Clinical Biochemistry, specialising in steroid hormone assay development. Post-PhD he has focused on understanding the immunology, endocrinology and pharmacology of pregnancy - particularly the placenta.
He is Professor of Obstetrics and past Head of School of Biomedical Sciences at QEII Medical Centre, Perth. He was previously Director of the Women and Newborn Health Research Network at King Edward Memorial Hospital. He has supervised more than 50 postgraduate students and published more than 220 articles in the fields of immunology, pharmacology, obstetrics and endocrinology (Google Scholar: >14,600 citations; h-index 70); he has received more than $20 M in competitive grant funding.

His current research is centred on the pharmacological treatment of intra-amniotic infection/inflammation, the intrauterine microbial and endocrine environment, and the use of melatonin in late pregnancy to reduce the rates of labour induction. He is also involved in the development of teaching programs in biomedical entrepreneurship.

• Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences (previous Head of School)
• Research Professor, Division of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Adjunct Professor, Curtin University
• Board Member, Marshall Centre Advisory Board
• Board Member, QEII Trust

I am interested in exploring the prognostic value of assessing maternal inflammation in pregnancy, and the use of drugs, probiotics and dietary supplements to mitigate the effects of inflammation in pregnancy.

Since 2017:

2017:  Chief applicant (CIB) with John Newnham, Dorota Doherty, Matthew Payne. NHMRC project grant APP1111111: “A prospective, open-label, single-centre/multi-site, randomized clinical trial of a novel maternal microbiological “screen & treat” program compared with normal care for the prevention of preterm birth”

2017   Chief applicant (CIA) with David Olson, Sarah Robertson, Matthew Kemp and Hayley Dickinson. NHMRC project grant AP1145295: “Preclinical evaluation of a novel allosteric IL-1R inhibitor (rytvela) for the prevention of perinatal inflammation-induced fetal injury”

2017   Chief applicant (CIB) with Sarah Robertson and Mark Hutchins. NHMRC project grant APP1140916: “Preclinical development of TLR signalling inhibitors for prevention of preterm labour and fetal inflammatory injury”

2017   Co-applicant with Jiake Xu and others, NHMRC Equipment Grant: “iCelligence System”

2017   Co-applicant with J Newnham and others, NHMRC Equipment Grant: “Kingfisher 96-Plex Purification System”

2018   Chief applicant, Channel 7 Telethon Trust Grant: “Multi-omic analysis of cervicovaginal fluids for predicting preterm birth”

2019   Co-applicant, NHMRC Equipment Grant

2020   Co-applicant, NHMRC Equipment Grant

2021  Co-applicant with Matt Payne et al., WA Department of Health Innovation Seed Fund: “Refining a novel molecular diagnostic test for prediction of women at high risk of preterm birth”.

2022  Co-applicant with Zoe Bradford et al., MRFF Clinician Researchers Initiative: “Melatonin supplementation To reduce the Induction of labour rates in first-time MothErs: The MyTIME Clinical Trial”.

1985 – 94: Hospital Scientific Officer, Dept. Clinical Biochemistry, National Women’s Hospital, Auckland, NZ
1994 – 2001: Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer, University of Auckland, Dept Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Auckland, NZ
2001 – 2007: Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ
2006 – 2007: Head, Pregnancy Research Group, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland

2007 - 2020: Head, Women and Infants Health Research Laboratories, KEMH, Perth WA.

Contact Jeff Keelan for details

Co-coordinator, Honours in Medical Research, School of Biomedical Sciences

Lecturing: Molecular Pharmacology; Reproductive biology; Placental pharmacology; Pharmacology in pregnancy.

Uni Western Australia: Lecturer for PHAR2220; ANHB2216; APHB5501; ANHB3316; IMED1108, IMED2208; IMED3308

Uni Auckland: MEDSCI201 (Introduction to Pharmacology and Toxicology): Lecturer and course coordinator.
Uni Auckland: MEDSCI720 (Biomedical research techniques) lecturer and course coordinator.