Rate My Professor Nathalie de Vries

Dr. Nathalie Karin Susan de Vries is a paediatrician and senior academic at the University of Otago's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She obtained her MD and PhD from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, with her doctoral thesis centered on neonatal neurology and general movements in preterm infants. Additional qualifications include a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (Clinical Education) from the University of Otago, Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP), Affiliate Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (AFRACMA), and Chartered Membership of the Institute of Directors (CMInstD). Her career spans clinical practice and medical education leadership. In the Netherlands, she served as a paediatrician and neonatologist at Medical Centre Leeuwarden, contributing to research on preterm infant neurodevelopment and prenatal medication effects. Upon relocating to New Zealand, she joined MidCentral District Health Board as a paediatrician in Child Health and took on the role of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies at the University of Otago's Palmerston North campus. In this position, she coordinates course delivery for the MB ChB programme's advanced learning in medicine years (4, 5, and trainee intern). In April 2024, she was appointed Chief Medical Officer and Director of Child and Youth Services at Whanganui Hospital, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, while maintaining her university affiliations.

De Vries's research specializations encompass neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm and high-risk infants, general movements assessment for early detection of cerebral palsy, impacts of intrauterine exposures like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and ketanserin on neonatal circulation and development, placental pathology, and parental experiences in neonatal intensive care units. She has advanced parental support through the Babble smartphone app, evaluating its role in reducing distress and improving self-efficacy. Key publications include 'The motor repertoire of extremely low-birthweight infants at term in relation to their neurological outcome' (2011), 'Early Neurological Outcome of Young Infants Exposed to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors during Pregnancy: Results from the Observational SMOK Study' (2013), 'Routine follow-up of preterm infants in New Zealand' (2017), 'Early identification of infants at risk of Cerebral Palsy: Developing the use of general movement assessment in routine clinical practice' (2020), 'Distress, self-efficacy, feeling informed and the Babble app: A New Zealand neonatal parent sample' (2022), and 'Recurrent de novo variants in the spliceosomal factor CRNKL1 are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder' (2025). Recognized as a nominee for New Zealand Clinical Educator of the Year (2021), her contributions shape neonatal follow-up protocols, interprofessional education, and family-centered care in paediatrics.