Judith M. Lumley

Judith Mary Lumley (15 February 1941 – 25 October 2018) had a career as an academic, author, public health advocate and perinatal researcher, retiring as Professor Emerita at La Trobe University in December 2008.

Early life and education Lumley was born Judith Mary Casey in Cardiff, Wales in 1941. and married Peter Lumley in 1964, emigrating to Australia a year later. She completed a medical degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She gained her PhD in fetal physiology working on fetal acidosis in labor at the Monash Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and became a Fellow of both the UK and Australian Faculties of Public Health Medicine and Professor at La Trobe University. Lumley was director of that Centre until 2008, with the exception of two years as Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University (1994-1995).

Judith Lumley published research in a variety of disciplines and methods, including epidemiology, evaluation of effectiveness and qualitative research. She was an early and longtime contributor to the development of the Cochrane Collaboration.

Medical journal editorship

Lumley was co-editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health from 2000 to 2008, and also edited Australian Family Physician for several years. Prepregnancy care: A manual for practice - edited by Geoffrey Chamberlain and Judith Lumley (1986). Having a baby in Victoria: Final report of the Ministerial Review of Birthing Services in Victoria - Chaired by Judith Lumley (1990). Missing voices: The experience of motherhood - by Stephanie Brown, Jill Astbury, Judith Lumley, Rhonda Small (1994).

Awards and honors

Lumley was a life member of the Public Health Association of Australia. Life membership is granted for "exemplary service to the Association." This medal is the Public Health Association of Australia's pre-eminent prize for a person who has made a "notable contribution" to public health in Australia. This was a list of "the smartest, most innovative and most creative" people in a variety of fields in Australia organized by The Bulletin magazine.

Lumley was appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia in 2005, cited "for service to promoting public health and improving maternity care in Australia."

The Faculty of Health Sciences of La Trobe University established the Judith Lumley Scholarship for high-achieving higher degree students in maternal and child health research.

In 2013, the name of Mother and Child Health Research at La Trobe University was formally changed to the Judith Lumley Centre.