Rate My Professor Zoe Bradfield

Professor Zoe Bradfield is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow and Professor in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University. She holds a joint appointment with the Women and Newborn Health Service at King Edward Memorial Hospital. With more than 26 years of clinical experience in rural and metropolitan health settings, she is a registered midwife and nurse. Her academic background includes a PhD, Master of Midwifery, Postgraduate Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health, Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Diploma in Languages, Registered Midwife, and Registered Nurse.

Bradfield's research specializations encompass midwifery education, midwifery research, women's health services, tertiary education, midwifery simulation-based learning, the philosophy of being 'with woman', maternity care models, and improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. She has produced over 118 publications, accumulating 1,349 citations on ResearchGate. Key publications include "Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review" (2018), "It's what midwifery is all about: Western Australian midwives' experiences of being ‘with woman’ during labour and birth in the known midwife model" (2019), "Midwives’ perceptions of being ‘with woman’: a phenomenological study" (2019), "Midwives' experiences of learning and teaching being ‘with woman’: A descriptive phenomenological study" (2020), and "Building healthy beginnings: A qualitative descriptive study of midwives’ role in identifying and promoting mentally healthy mothers in Australia" (2026). Her translational research programs have attracted more than $11 million in funding, including almost $675,000 from an NHMRC Investigator Grant for “Measuring what Matters to Australian Mothers,” aimed at enhancing maternity care quality through direct maternal input. Bradfield supervises PhD students, including on topics like pregnancy and maternal experiences, and contributes to the Master of Midwifery course. Her impact is evidenced by awards such as the 2023 Curtin Research Star, 2023 WA Nursing and Midwifery Excellence in Research Award, and 2024 Young Tall Poppy Science WA Finalist.