Belinda McClaren

Associate Professor Belinda McClaren holds a position in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne since 2020. She acts as the academic coordinator for the Department's Honours and Master of Biomedical Science programs, co-chairs the Master of Genomics and Health, and coordinates subjects such as Paediatrics Research Project Part 1 and 2, and Coursework in Paediatrics & Child Health. At the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, she is a senior researcher with Genomics in Society, serving as Team Leader, Honorary Fellow Manager, and responsible for professional practice subject coordination and capstone internships.

McClaren obtained her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2010 and a BSc (Honours) from the same institution. Her academic interests encompass genomic workforce development, implementation science, education and ethics in genomics, family communication of genetic information, support needs of couples after prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormality, psychosocial impacts of genetic diagnoses, and genetics education in primary care. She employs mixed methods research.

Her career includes roles such as Specialist Project Officer with Australian Genomics. Key publications include "Exomes in Paediatrics: Co-Design and Implementation of Interventions to Support Paediatricians to Provide Genomic Care" (Dawson-McClaren et al., Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2026), "Opportunities and challenges for paediatricians requesting funded genomic tests for children" (Dawson-McClaren et al., European Journal of Human Genetics, 2025), "Non-geneticist champions are essential to the mainstreaming of genomic medicine" (Mackley et al., European Journal of Human Genetics, 2025), "Ensuring best practice in genomics education: A theory- and empirically-informed evaluation framework" (Genetics in Medicine, 2021), and "Rapid acute care genomics: Challenges and opportunities for genetic counselors" (Journal of Genetic Counseling, 2020). With over 1,788 citations on Google Scholar, her work has influenced genomic medicine implementation in paediatrics and primary care.

In 2023, she was awarded a Strategic Grant for Outstanding Women by the Melbourne Medical School. McClaren has contributed to the Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance and international efforts in genomics education evaluation.

Professional Email: belinda.mcclaren@unimelb.edu.au