Professor Gita Mishra AO is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Professor of Life Course Epidemiology at the University of Queensland (UQ). She is the founding Director of the Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research Centre at UQ, which has over 40 researchers and professional staff. She is the Director of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health at UQ, a national flagship study since 1996, with data from 57,000 women.
As an author of over 500 scientific papers, book chapters, and evidence reports, Professor Mishra is recognized for her research on women’s health epidemiology, especially on the relationship between reproductive health and chronic conditions. For example, her findings revealed that women with recurrent pregnancy loss (miscarriage and stillbirth) face an increased risk of stroke in later life. She is the lead editor of the key textbook “A Life Course Approach to Women’s Health” (July 2023), which is part of the groundbreaking Life Course Series from Oxford University Press and presents a comprehensive overview of current research methods and evidence in the field.
Professor Mishra works closely with national and state governments on policy development. Her research program directly contributed to the Australian National Action Plan for Endometriosis, including the first robust prevalence statistics for the condition. In 2023, Professor Mishra was appointed Scientific Advisor for Queensland Health and the Queensland Women and Girls’ Health Strategy 2032, which has focused on a life course approach. Currently, she is a founding member of the National Women’s Health Advisory Council established by the Australian Government to inform policy.
In 2017, Professor Mishra became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and in 2025, she was appointed as President-elect for the World Endometriosis Society (2025-2027). She has received prestigious awards for her contribution to research and education, including the 2022 RANZCOG Award for Excellence in Women’s Health. In 2025, she was made Officer of the Order of Australia and received an Honorary Doctorate from Stockholm University.