About Us

Australia’s leading source of evidence dedicated to reducing prenatal alcohol exposure and promoting optimal outcomes for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Our Story

The FASD Hub was established in 2017 to provide locally relevant Australian information about alcohol and pregnancy and FASD.

Strategic Plan 2026-29

Three strategic pillars underpin the work focus for the next four years: Multidisciplinary relevance, collaboration and online presence.

Content and Advertising Policy

The FASD Hub seeks to be accessible, authoritative, and transparent in how and why content is created.

Our Story

The FASD Hub brings together the latest evidence-based content about alcohol, pregnancy and FASD in Australia.

Intended primarily for health professionals, researchers, policymakers and educators, the FASD Hub also provides content for people with FASD and their families, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and women who are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Launched in September 2017 to mark FASD Awareness Month, the FASD Hub emerged in response to the need for a unique resource providing locally relevant Australian information about alcohol and pregnancy and FASD.

Between 2017 and 2019, the FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence, a project of the University of Sydney and The Kids Research Institute Australia (formerly Telethon Kids Institute), partnered with Menzies School of Health Research, the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Australia and the Australian and New Zealand FASD Clinical Network to develop and manage the FASD Hub.

In 2019, a consortium of eight organisations submitted a successful application for further funding under the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Drug and Alcohol Program. In 2021 this funding was again extended until 2026, with The Kids Research Institute Australia as the fundholder.

FASD Technical Network recommendation to develop a FASD Hub.

2015/
2016
FASD Hub funded by DoH. University of Sydney leads the project.

2016
FASD Hub Australia launched.

2017
FASD Hub refunded with The Kids leading the consortium.

2019
Third cycle of DoH funding awarded.

2021
New three-year funding period, TBC.

2026/
2029

Our Team

A small part-time team manages, implements and maintains the FASD Hub. Staff are employed by The Kids Research Institute Australia and work from the Perth Children’s Hospital. Project Lead, Distinguished Professor Elizabeth Elliott, provides critical clinical expertise and leadership from The University of Sydney.

Our Governance

The FASD Hub Australia is a collaboration of The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Sydney. A group of skilled and representative advisors is convened quarterly to provide strategic advice and guide the work of the Project Team, ensuring sound governance, transparency and accountability.

The Advisory Group is composed of leaders in research, clinical practice, advocacy and those with lived experience.

Current Advisory Group membership:

External Advisors – Skilled:

Kristie Cocotis | Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education
Natasha Reid | University of Queensland
Sharon Dawe | Griffith University
Sharon Medlow | University of Sydney
Teegan Wattam | Menzies School of Health Research

External Advisors – Representative:

Jessica Birch, Lived Experience – individual
Julie Flanagan | National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Megan Laws, Community Member – school-based wellbeing psychologist
Neil Reynolds, Lived Experience – parent/carer
Staff member | Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Chairperson:

Elizabeth Elliott, Distinguished Professor

FASD Hub Consortium Members

Our Funder

The FASD Hub Australia is funded under The Drug and Alcohol Program, an Australian Government initiative administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Aging.

Content and Advertising Policy

Disclaimer

The information provided on this FASD Hub Australia website is intended to provide general information to health professionals, parents and carers, researchers, policy makers and the general public. This includes any content such as pages, documents, videos, images, sound files and computer code (the ‘Material’) created by FASD Hub Australia. All reasonable measures have been taken to ensure that the information provided in this website is accurate. However, visitors to this website are advised that:

FASD Hub Australia may change, delete, add to, or otherwise amend information contained on this website without notice.
Whilst FASD Hub Australia has a policy pertaining to linking to external websites, it is not responsible for the contents or reliability of any linked websites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Linking is for convenience only and should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. FASD Hub Australia cannot guarantee that these links will work all of the time and has no control over availability of the linked pages.
FASD Hub Australia does not implicitly or impliedly endorse any website, organisation, or people who have off-site links to the FASD Hub Australia website.

Advertising revenue

All editorial content on FASD Hub Australia’s website and social media platforms is independent of any paid or advertised content. We select and develop content based on objective and fair criteria including its evidence-base, credibility and relevance to our audiences.

FASD Hub Australia does not accept advertising revenue for the promotion of any third party’s service, product, resource, or therapeutic intervention.

Promoting FASD Hub Australia content

FASD Hub Australia will from time to time use advertising to promote awareness of FASD in Australia and content we have developed or been a partner in its development. This includes advertising on social media and digital or hardcopy publications. Any advertising undertaken should be ethically sound, balanced and sensitive to the issues surrounding FASD in Australia.

FASD Hub Australia will seek endorsement and promotion of its message by online influencers, however it will not seek any paid endorsement from online influencers.

Promoting involvement in research

FASD Hub Australia will review all requests to include surveys, recruitment for clinical trials or members for project advisory/steering groups on the website. Projects will need to have ethics approval specific to these requests; include the name of the organisation/institution with overarching responsibility for the project; and have a name and contact details for further information, prior to publication.

Promoting educational events

To be included on the list of training opportunities (online or face to face) the event must be relevant to the FASD Hub audience (for example health, justice and education professionals, parents and caregivers, researchers, policy makers) and content must be consistent with the National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol – Guideline 3:

To prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.
For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.

FASD Hub team members may request to view the program to ensure it meets these requirements. This does not exclude workshops by international presenters who are discussing findings of research or programs undertaken in another country. It is acknowledged that organisers need to recoup costs such as venue hire, catering, presenters etc, and events that charge a fee to register/attend will not be excluded from the list of events.

The FASD Hub does not endorse or accept advertising revenue for the promotion of any third-party educational events.

Stay connected

Join our mailing list to hear more from the FASD Hub, including our monthly newsletters, webinar invitations, and new publications.

Acknowledgement of Country

FASD Hub Australia acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and we recognise their connections to land, water and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.