The Ritchie Centre Special Seminar: Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy and Intrinsic Vulnerability, 7 March

Professor Hannah Kinney

Tuesday 7 March, 12-1pm, Lecture Theatre 1, Monash Medical Centre

Presented by Professor Hannah Kinney MD, Professor of Pathology and Assistant Professor Richard Goldstein MD, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Hannah's research is directed at defining the causes of SIDS. Hannah and her team are testing the idea that SIDS, or a subset of SIDS, is due to a developmental brainstem defect in autonomic and/or respiratory control during sleep. Focusing specifically on the arcuate nucleus in the ventral medulla area of the brainstem -- important in the detection of carbon dioxide and other respiratory and blood pressure responses -- her team has identified abnormalities that put an infant at risk for sudden death during sleep. 

Hannah's studies have led to an expanded hypothesis concerning the role of the developing ventral medulla in SIDS: SIDS, or a subset of SIDS, is due to a developmental abnormality in a ventral network composed of rhombic-lip derived, serotonergic neurons, and that this abnormality results in a failure of protective responses to life-threatening challenges (e.g., asphyxia, hypoxia, hypercapnia) during sleep. She has published over 160 peer reviewed manuscripts from her work, including her seminal 1994 paper on “The Triple Risk Model” which is still used to define our basic understanding of SIDS mechanisms.

Richard is the Director of Robert's program - a service which provides support to families who have lost a child under 3 years of age. 

There will be opportunities to speak with Hannah and Rick on the day - please contact Rosemary Horne (Rosemary.Horne@monash.edu) if you would like to make a time.