FASD Research Australia CRE June Update

Announced in September 2025, FASD Hub Chair Distinguished Professor Elizabeth Elliott AO was awarded a prestigious National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centres of Research Excellence (CRE) grant for Centre of Research Excellence in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD-CRE): Promoting prevention and improving health outcomes 2026–2030.

This marks Professor Elliott’s second NHMRC CRE for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder research, following her co-leadership of the FASD Research Australia CRE entitled Reducing the Effects of Antenatal Alcohol on Child Health (REAACH) during 2016–2021 with Emeritus Professor Carol Bower AC.

“The new FASD Research Australia CRE brings together national and international expertise to strengthen the evidence base and improve outcomes for individuals, families and communities affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder”, says Professor Elliott.

This Australian-led collaboration spans epidemiology, implementation science, health economics, Indigenous research, basic science, paediatrics and policy development. The focus of their work will be addressing critical knowledge gaps while translating research into practice to support more effective diagnosis, management and prevention of FASD.

Research streams

The CRE’s work is organised into three research streams:

Epidemiology, burden and costs

Clarifying the scale, nature and impacts of the FASD crisis in Australia.

Diagnosis and management

Developing effective ways to identify and support people affected by FASD.

Prevention

Laying the foundations for a FASD-free future

What’s currently underway

Since its launch, the CRE has initiated a range of projects that reflect both research priorities and capacity building, including:

Programs to promote and build capacity in early-mid career researchers
Building international collaborations
Literature reviews supporting evidence synthesis and research training
Health economics studies, including analyses of costs of diagnostic services
Development of grant applications to expand research activity
Planning of web development to support knowledge translation
Recruitment of postdoctoral researchers to strengthen future research capability
Support of MD, Honours and PhD students

Together, these activities demonstrate a coordinated effort to build the evidence base while investing in the next generation of researchers.

Informing policy and practice

The CRE is actively contributing to policy discussions and has made submissions to parliamentary inquiries, including:

FASD Research Australia submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) review into alcohol advertising restrictions in the Free TV Code, 14 April 2026
Robards F, Medlow S, Prior K, Devine E, Elliott E. Submission to the NSW Parliament Select Committee on Youth Justice, 12 March 2026

Following these submissions, CRE representatives have appeared at parliamentary inquiries:

Robards F, Elliott E. Inquiry into Youth Justice, Parliament of NSW, 15 August 2026
Robards F, Medlow S, Elliott EJ. Inquiry into the health impacts of alcohol and other drugs in Australia, House of Representatives Standing Committee, 14 August 2026

With a strong foundation established, the FASD Research Australia CRE is well positioned to contribute to long-term improvements in FASD prevention, diagnosis and care.

The FASD Hub will continue to provide updates.

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.