A paediatrician by training, she has helped develop the field of adolescent health, both nationally and internationally. Nationally, she was instrumental in establishing the Royal Australasian College of Physician's committee on adolescent health and was its inaugural chairman from 2002-2007. This work established the framework that led to the accreditation of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine as a specialist field of medical practice in Australia. She chaired the RACP Advanced Training Committee in Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine (2019-21) and is currently leading an evaluation of the training program in Adolescent and Young Adult Mediicne.
Her research interests focus on health services for adolescents, with a focus on health care quality, developmentally appropriate models of care (eg transition to adult health care) and chronic disease management in adolescence. She has expertise in both quantitiative and qualitative research methods.
She has published over 360 peer review papers and nearly 50 book chapters; she has an H-index of 86.
She is highly sought after as a teacher and mentor.