Clinician’s guide to women and girls’ health

Healthy ageing in the senior years

In this final episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we focus on healthy ageing for women over 60. This episode explores how health professionals can support older women to maintain strength, mobility, and independence in this life stage, while promoting lifestyle choices that align with their personal goals.  We’re joined by Dr Sian Edwards, a Toowoomba-based GP with a strong focus on preventative care and women’s health, and Dr Anthony Villani, an accredited practising dietitian and senior lecturer specialising in metabolic health and physical function. Together, they share practical strategies for supporting women beyond menopause, covering topics such as muscle and bone health, cardiovascular risk, mental wellbeing, resistance training, nutrition, and the role of telehealth and social connection. This conversation highlights the importance of listening, personalising care, and helping women thrive in later life.

Thriving in your 50s

In this episode we explore healthy ageing and the evolving health needs of women beyond menopause. As women enter their later life stages, they often face a unique blend of physical, emotional, and social changes - yet their own health can be overlooked amidst caregiving roles and shifting priorities. This episode focuses on how clinicians can provide proactive, empathetic care that supports women to age with vitality, independence, and wellbeing.  We’re joined by Dr Meg Cairns, a Brisbane-based GP with a strong focus on preventative medicine and chronic disease management, and Sarah Myles, an advanced pelvic health physiotherapist from Townsville Hospital with expertise in early intervention and lifelong pelvic care. Together, they discuss key topics including menopause, cardiovascular and bone health, mental wellbeing, pelvic floor support, resistance training, nutrition, and weight management. They also explore the role of telehealth and social connection in sustaining long-term health. Designed for health professionals, this episode offers practical strategies and clinical insights to help women thrive in later life - not just survive it.

Menopause and healthy ageing

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we turn our attention to menopause - a complex life stage with significant implications for clinical practice and public health.   Joining us are two leading experts: Professor Gita Mishra, founding director of the Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research Centre at the University of Queensland, and Dr Sheila Cook, endocrinologist and obstetric physician. Together, they offer an evidence-based discussion on the multifaceted experience of menopause and its impact on women’s health across the lifespan.  Drawing on decades of research and clinical insight, this episode covers key topics including premature and early menopause, hormone therapy, sleep disruption, muscle strength, cardiovascular risk, and mental health. Our guests also explore the role of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, and the cultural framing of menopause, highlighting how longitudinal data is reshaping our understanding of midlife health.   Designed for health professionals, this conversation underscores the importance of proactive, personalised care and the need to integrate menopause into broader models of preventive and holistic health.

Strengthening habits for women 40+

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we explore the middle years of a woman’s life - her 30s and 40s - a stage often defined by complexity, convergence, and competing demands.   As women juggle careers, raise children, nurture relationships, and increasingly care for ageing parents, their own health and wellbeing needs can easily slip down the priority list. This episode examines how clinicians can better recognise and respond to the pressures of this life stage, offering proactive, empathetic, and holistic care that helps women not just manage, but truly thrive.   Joining the conversation are Dr Ruchika Luhach, a Brisbane-based GP with a special interest in women’s and children’s health, and Dr Carrie-Anne Lewis, a clinical and research dietitian at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital whose PhD focuses on person-centred obesity care. Together, they share practical insights into supporting women’s physical and emotional wellbeing during this pivotal chapter.

Antenatal care in the maternal years

In this episode of The Clinician’s Guide to Women and Girls’ Health, we explore the life-altering transition to motherhood and how health professionals can ensure new mums feel empowered to thrive, with the right support networks around them. Building on themes from our previous series, The Clinician’s Guide to the First 2000 Days, this episode takes a broader lens on reproductive health.  We delve into the continuum of care across both primary care and maternity services, highlighting the critical role clinicians play in supporting women’s physical, emotional, and social wellbeing throughout pregnancy and beyond.   Joining us are GP Dr Kim Nolan, a seasoned practitioner in Logan with over 30 years of experience and a diploma in obstetrics and gynaecology, and Midwife Gemma Macmillan, who brings frontline expertise in maternal care. Together, they share practical strategies and clinical insights to help practitioners better support women during one of the most transformative periods of their lives.