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  • Dr Suzanne Meldrum

    Dr Suzanne Meldrum

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  • PubMed profile
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/browse/collection/51193535/?sort=date&direction=ascending
  • PubMed profile

Dr Suzanne Meldrum

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 5101
Mobile: 0418 952 199
Email: s.meldrum@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
Room: JO21.539  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6798-8875

Suzanne is a Lecturer and Course Coordinator of the Speech Pathology Honours program in the School of Medical and Health Sciences.

Current teaching

Suzanne Meldum is the Unit Coordinator and Lecturer for the units:

  • SPE2103 Analysis of Speech and Language
  • SPE3106 Management of Speech and Language Disorders
  • SPE5102 Preparation of Honours Thesis Proposal
  • SPE5104 Honours Research Project

Background

Dr Suzanne Meldrum has over 10 years’ experience as a teaching and research scholar at ECU. In this time, she has been a lecturer and Course Coordinator with the School of Medical and Health Sciences.

Suzanne’s primary area of research is communication disorders in young children, particularly investigating treatments for children who are late to talk. Suzanne has authored 35 peer-reviewed publications and has been awarded over $1 million in research funding from institutes such as the MRFF, the Women’s and Infants Research Foundation, UWA and ECU.

Suzanne presents regularly at national and international conferences and has been invited to present to research groups and community/ industry-based organisations with a focus on the translation of research findings.

Suzanne has supervised 10 research students to completion (two higher degree research students and 8 Honours students). She is currently supervising one PhD, one Masters and two Honours students.

Suzanne is a certified practising speech pathologist having worked in rural/remote health services, disability and private practise based clinical settings.

Professional associations

  • Speech Pathology Australia

Research areas and interests

  • Infant and early childhood language development
  • Effects of early experiences upon language development
  • Efficacious treatment of language delay and disorder
  • The pathogenesis and development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2012.
  • Bachelor of Science (Human Communication Science), Curtin University of Technology, 2006.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • Meldrum, S., Fisk, J., Stopher, J., Hunt, E. (2024). Parent implementation of a treatment for late talkers based on cross-situational statistical learning principles: Treatment fidelity and acceptability. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2024(Article in press), TBD. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2024.2311931.
  • Meldrum, S., Snyman, L., Hunt, E. (2024). Replication of a single-case design cross-situational statistically based word learning treatment for late talking children. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(1), 83-95. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2022.2160493.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Hunt, E., Nang, C., Meldrum, S., Armstrong, B. (2022). Can dynamic assessment identify language disorder in multilingual children? Clinical applications from a systematic review. Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 53(2), 598-625. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_LSHSS-21-00094.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Meldrum, S., Heaton, AE., Foster, J., Prescott, SL., Simmer, K. (2020). Do infants of breast-feeding mothers benefit from additional long-chain PUFA from fish oil? A 6-year follow-up. The British Journal of Nutrition: an international journal of nutritional science, 124(7), 701-708. https://doi.org/10.1017/S000711452000135X.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Koletzko, B., Reischl, E., Tanjung, C., Gonzalez-Casanova, I., Ramakrishnan, U., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Heinrich, J., Demmelmair, H. (2019). FADS1 and FADS2 Polymorphisms Modulate Fatty Acid Metabolism and Dietary Impact on Health. Annual Review of Nutrition, 39(21 August 2019), 21-44. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nutr-082018-124250.

2018

Journal Articles

  • Meldrum, S., Li, Y., Zhang, G., Heaton, A., D'vaz, N., Manz, J., Reischl, E., Koletzko, B., Prescott, S., Simmer, K. (2018). Can polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster alter the effects of fish oil supplementation on plasma and erythrocyte fatty acid profiles? An exploratory study. European Journal of Nutrition, 57(7), 2583-2594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-017-1529-5.

2016

Journal Articles

  • Meldrum, S., Simmer, K. (2016). Docosahexaenoic acid and neurodevelopmental outcomes of term infants. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism: European journal of nutrition, metabolic diseases and dietetics, 69(1), 23-28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000448271.
  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, N. (2016). Dysphonia in extremely preterm children: A longitudinal observation. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 41(4), 154-158. https://doi.org/10.3109/14015439.2015.1054307.
  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, N. (2016). Voice problems in school-aged children following very preterm birth. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 101(6), 556-560. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2015-309441.
  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Slimmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, N. (2016). A randomized, controlled trial of behavioral voice therapy for dysphonia related to prematurity of birth. Journal of Voice, 31(2), 247.e9-247.e17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.08.004.

2015

Journal Articles

  • Jones, A., D'vaz, N., Meldrum, S., Palmer, D., Zhang, G., Prescott, S. (2015). 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 status is associated with developing adaptive and innate immune responses in the first 6 months of life. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 45(1), 220-231. https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.12449.
  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, N. (2015). Laryngeal pathology at school age following very preterm birth. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 79(3), 398-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2014.12.037.
  • Meldrum, S., Dunstan, J., Foster, J., Simmer, K., Prescott, S. (2015). Maternal Fish Oil Supplementation in Pregnancy: A 12 Year Follow-Up of a Randomised Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 7(3), 2061-2067. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7032061.

2014

Journal Articles

  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, N. (2014). Dysphonia in very preterm children: A review of the evidence. Neonatology: foetal and neonatal research, 106(1), 69-73. https://doi.org/10.1159/000360841.
  • Reynolds, V., Meldrum, S., Simmer, K., Vijayasekaran, S., French, NP. (2014). Dysphonia in preterm children: Assessing incidence and response to treatment. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 37(2), 170-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2013.12.004.

2013

Journal Articles

  • French, N., Kelly, R., Vijayasekaran, S., Reynolds, V., Lipscombe, J., Buckland, A., Bailey, J., Nathan, E., Meldrum, S. (2013). Voice Abnormalities at School Age in Children Born Extremely Preterm. Pediatrics, 131(3), e733-e739. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0817.
  • Meldrum, S., Strunk, T., Currie, A., Prescott, S., Simmer, K., Whitehouse, A. (2013). Autism spectrum disorder in children born preterm - role of exposure to perinatal inflammation. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2013(7 July), Article 123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00123.
  • Heaton, A., Meldrum, S., Foster, J., Prescott, S., Simmer, K. (2013). Does docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in term infants enhance neurocognitive functioning in infancy?. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7(NOV), Article 774. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00774.

2012

Journal Articles

  • D'vaz, N., Ma, Y., Dunstan, J., Lee-Pullen, T., Hii, C., Meldrum, S., Zhang, G., Metcalfe, J., Ferrante, A., Prescott, S. (2012). Neonatal protein kinase C zeta expression determines the neonatal T-Cell cytokine phenotype and predicts the development and severity of infant allergic disease. Allergy, 67(12), 1511-1518. https://doi.org/10.1111/all.12027.
  • Meldrum, S., D'vaz, N., Simmer, K., Dunstan, J., Hird, K., Prescott, S. (2012). Effects of high-dose fish oil supplementation during early infancy on neurodevelopment and language: a randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Nutrition, 108(8), 1443-1454. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114511006878.
  • Meldrum, S., D'vaz, N., Dunstan, J., Mori, T., Hird, K., Simmer, K., Prescott, S. (2012). Allergic disease in the first year of life is associated with differences in subsequent neurodevelopment and behaviour. Early Human Development, 88(7), 567-573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.12.032.
  • Meldrum, S., D'vaz, N., Casadio, Y., Dunstan, J., Krogsgaard-Larsen, N., Simmer, K., Prescott, S. (2012). Determinants of DHA levels in early infancy: Differential effects of breastmilk and direct fish oil supplementation. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 86(6), 233-239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2012.03.006.
  • D'vaz, N., Meldrum, S., Dunstan, JA., Lee-Pullen, T., Metcalfe, J., Holt, B., Serralha, M., Tulic, M., Mori, T., Prescott, S. (2012). Fish oil supplementation in early infancy modulates developing infant immune responses. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 42(8), 1206-1216. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2222.2012.04031.x.
  • West, C., Dunstan, J., McCarthy, S., Metcalfe, J., D'vaz, N., Meldrum, S., Oddy, W., Tulic, M., Prescott, S. (2012). Associations between Maternal Antioxidant Intakes in Pregnancy and Infant Allergic Outcomes. Nutrients, 4(11), 1747-1758. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu4111747.
  • Dunstan, J., West, C., McCarthy, S., Metcalfe, J., Meldrum, S., Oddy, W., Tulic, M., D'vaz, N., Prescott, S. (2012). The relationship between maternal folate status in pregnancy, cord blood folate levels, and allergic outcomes in early childhood. Allergy, 67(1), 50-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2011.02714.x.
  • D'vaz, N., Meldrum, S., Dunstan, J., Martino, D., McCarthy, S., Metcalfe, J., Tulic, M., Mori, T., Prescott, S. (2012). Postnatal Fish Oil Supplementation in High-Risk Infants to Prevent Allergy: Randomized Controlled Trial. Pediatrics, 130(4), 674-682. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-3104.

2011

Journal Articles

  • Meldrum, S., D'vaz, N., Dunstan, J., Mori, TA., Prescott, SL. (2011). The Infant Fish Oil Supplementation Study (IFOS): Design and research protocol of a double-blind, randomised controlled n−3 LCPUFA intervention trial in term infants. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 32(5), 771-778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2011.05.019.
  • Meldrum, S., Smith, M., Prescott, S., Hird, K., Simmer, K. (2011). Achieving definitive results in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation trials of term infants: factors for consideration. Nutrition Reviews, 69(4), 205-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00381.x.

Research Projects

  • The Flourishing Child: targeted tools to promote mentally healthy pathways , Department of Health and Aged Care, MRFF - Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research Initiative, 2025 ‑ 2027.
  • Speech and language outcomes of the ORIGINS birth cohort study at five years, The Kids Research Institute Australia, Grant, 2025, $17,000.
  • Is speech and language in early school years as important as we think? Investigating school readiness in the Origins project., Edith Cowan University, Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant Scheme 2022 (Stream 2), 2023 ‑ 2024, $37,213.
  • Early Language Intervention (EARLI) in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Settings: An international collaboration, Edith Cowan University, ECU Collaboration Enhancement Scheme – 2017 Round 2, 2018 ‑ 2019, $9,576.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Master of Medical and Health Science by Research, An investigation of Oral Narrative Assessment Methods in Research and Clinical Practice in the Paediatric Population at School Entry

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Investigation of the role of dynamic assessment in the diagnosis, referral and language outcomes of multilingual children with developmental language disorder

Completed Supervisions

Co-principal Supervisor

  • PhD - The effects of fish oil supplementation during early infancy on neurodevelopment at six years of age
  • PhD Dysphonia in very preterm children: Prevalence, presentation, influencing factors and response to treatment. University of Western Australia.
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