Karen Walker

Karen Walker is a Clinical Professor in the Susan Wakil School of Nursing within the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, appointed in 2022. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Sydney and was awarded her PhD by the University of Sydney in 2011. Professor Walker joined the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Newborn Care Centre as the inaugural Neonatal Clinical Nurse Consultant (Research) in 2008 and continues in the role of Neonatal Clinical Nurse Consultant at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Her professional career integrates clinical nursing practice in neonatology, academic research, and teaching contributions.

Professor Walker's academic interests center on neonatal health outcomes, including developmental status following major noncardiac and cardiac surgery in term infants, the effects of surgery on late preterm infants, sleep and breathing impacts in infancy on three-year outcomes, five-year survival of infants with major congenital anomalies, prevalence and risk factors for perinatal stroke, and pharmacokinetics of oseltamivir in infants under one year. She is actively involved in undergraduate nursing education and supervises higher degree research students at the University of Sydney. Her key publications encompass 'Early developmental outcomes following major noncardiac and cardiac surgery in term infants: a population-based study' (2013), 'Impact of Sleep and Breathing in Infancy on Outcomes at Three Years' (2014), 'The Impact of Surgery on the Developmental Status of Late Preterm Infants' (2015), 'Pharmacokinetics of oseltamivir in infants under the age of 1 year' (2016), 'Five-year survival of infants with major congenital anomalies' (2020), 'Prevalence & Risk Factors for Perinatal Stroke: A Population-Based Study' (2023), and 'Systematic review of terminology, definitions, and eligibility criteria in neonatal research' (2026). Professor Walker also participates in research centers such as the Reproduction and Perinatal Centre at the University of Sydney.

Professional Email: karen.walker@sydney.edu.au