Dr Alexandra Balzarelli is from Perth, studied at UWA, then worked in Africa and the Middle East before specialising in Aboriginal and Rural General Practice. Experiences include working in the Curtin and Woomera Detention Centres, and the Bandyup and Wandoo prisons.

Time in Broome included working at BRAMS, including in many regional town and community clinics, as well as KAMSC as an Associate Professor for the Rural Clinical School of UWA teaching medical students and helping to set up the new Headspace clinic.

Dr Alex worked at Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service then became the visiting GP for Clontarf Aboriginal College. She also continues private GP and rural locums for Wyndham Hospital in the Kimberley.

Dr Alex lectured for the Centre for Aboriginal and Dental Health at UWA for several years, where she acknowledges her colleagues, Aboriginal doctors and academics, as enhancing her knowledge through continued learning and sharing.

Clinical Nurse Consultant: Burns from Perth Children's Hospital

Ella Marshall is a self-described hard-working 4th year Honours student in Advanced Biomedical Science (Honours) at Curtin University with a passion for learning and research. She has demonstrable experience with data analysis, biomedical science laboratories, leadership, teamwork and people-orientated roles. Her passion lies with women’s health, particularly school nurses' knowledge, attitudes and insights regarding menstrual health and care of adolescents.

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Abstract: "School nurses speak ... here's what they said about menstrual health education and care" 

Menstrual health both indicates and influences a woman’s overall health and wellbeing. However, adolescent girls' knowledge of menstrual health and its care can be limited and varied. We have identified the importance of assessing not just the education provided, but also those who provide health care, specifically the school nurses and counsellors.

This project therefore investigated the knowledge, attitudes, perspectives and recommendations of science teachers, health teachers, school nurses and counsellors on menstrual health education and care in Independent and Catholic schools in WA.

This mixed methods study utilised surveys to collect quantitative data as rating scales and qualitative data as open-ended answers. We conducted interviews with school nurses to discuss menstrual care as well as the common menstrual-related condition of iron deficiency and the possibility of iron deficiency screening in schools.

We are pleased to share the preliminary results of this study which shares the voices of school nurses on the support they believe is required to assist them in their roles. Furthermore, it has highlighted that development of targeted education programs and support for adolescent girls may require further research.

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Founder/Director 

RN Paed Cert MEd MN(NP) FACNP

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Stephanie has over 30 years of experience in children’s healthcare across New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Her nursing expertise spans from generalist to specialist roles, with positions held at Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London and Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. 

Since 2016, Stephanie has worked as a Children's Nurse Practitioner, starting the Just Kids Health clinic in 2017.

Stephanie is currently a Lecturer at Edith Cowan University educating future Nurse Practitioners.
As a trailblazer in healthcare innovation, Stephanie has developed a care model beyond traditional health systems. Her approach integrates principles of social justice and health equity with delivery of evidence-based, high-quality healthcare in a range of settings.

Andrea Jansen Van Rensburg is a Registered Nurse, and the Head of Clinical Services at Ear Foundation Australia. Andrea's clinical experience is spread across WA/NT/SA in the areas of medical/surgical acute care, primary health care, health promotion, leadership and education. Part of the work of Ear Foundation Australia, is the Earbus Outreach Program, where a team consisting of a Nurse and Audiologist, and sometimes a NP/GP or ENT, visit Aboriginal children in schools across WA to treat ear and hearing disease.

​"I should've been taught this stuff at school!"

This is typical of what Dr Felicity Roux hears when women discover how their own bodies work. It's this wonder and awe of learning how their cycle is an in-built personal health monitor which keeps Dr Roux working clinically as a fully accredited fertility educator with the Billings Ovulation Method® and Fertility Education & Medical Management™.  Dr Roux has found alarming gaps in students’ basic knowledge of cycle science. As a Rite-of-Passage trainer, she noticed teachers' discomfort in teaching the cycle. So she researched how to make teaching the cycle easier. Her PhD by publication developed and trialled My Vital Cycles®, a holistic ovulatory-menstrual health literacy program. It has won 10+ awards and a commendation from the Chancellor of Curtin University.

As a supervisor of Honours, Masters and PhD students, Dr Roux's research continues. Her door is always open to collaboration in this burgeoning field.

From January 2026, Dr Roux has been awarded five year's of grant funding to continue her research with grateful thanks to the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation for making this possible.  She appreciates the continued support of Curtin University and the Curtin Medical School in administering these funds.