ABOUT MELINDA

About Melinda

 

Melinda Cruz Turner is the award-winning Founder of Miracle Babies Foundation; Australia’s leading organisation supporting babies born premature and sick, their families and the hospitals caring for them.

Although no longer affiliated (see statement), Melinda dedicated 17 years to the Foundation, starting it in 2005 after her own experience of having 3 premature babies.

Continuing her commitment to making an impact, Melinda has co-founded three new projects - Easy Family Co (Science based Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy), Founding Good (Private consulting for NFP Founders) and the NICU Lived Network (Parents and those born early or sick working in Research, Advocacy and Clinical Practice Improvement).

The incredible difference Melinda has made to thousands has seen her be a regular on radio, TV, podcasts and at national and international conferences, and seen her win numerous awards including:

  • EY Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA) Consumer Involvement Award

  • Australian Businesswomens Hall of Fame

  • NSW Woman of the Year Premiers Award

  • NSW Government Community Service Award

  • Liverpool Citizen of the Year

  • South Western Sydney Business Award Excellence in Business Ethics

Using her parent voice, she is a trusted consumer expert to medical professionals. She is co-author on 16 publications in peer reviewed journals and is a contributor to THRIVE Global publishing 6 articles, including one outlining the benefits of Neonatal Point of Care Trials.

Notables:

  • Awarded the title of Honorary Research Associate, University of Sydney, Medical School (2012)

  • First parent invited as an Associate Investigator (2012) and Chief Investigator (2018) on National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded neonatal trials

  • Joined the Perinatal Society of Australia & New Zealand's (PSANZ) Consumer Advisory Panel as inaugural Chair and accepted a position on the PSANZ Clinical Trials executive committee (2014)

  • Joined the Australian Red Cross LifeBlood Milk Bank Advisory Board (2015)

  • Part of two award-winning global trials improving the lives of millions of premature babies (2017/2018)

Melinda has been instrumental in a number of other trials such as in assisting in obtaining a waiver of consent for the TORPIDO 30/60 Trial and in supporting parents in Australia during the Family Integrated Care (FiCare) Trial.

Melinda is part of the global Alpha Collaboration (improving health through large simple perinatal trials) and is currently working as a Senior Research Officer with the NHMRC's Clinical Trials Centre (University of Sydney) helping the role of parent partners within research worldwide.

Melinda also chairs the Lived Experience Committee for the PLATIPUS Platform Trial and co-chairs the Working Group for the SurPre Trial.

Awards and Recognition