Professor Amanda Jane Leach AM

Senior Principal Research Fellow, Head of the Ear Health Research Program, Child and Maternal Health Division

Qualifications:

Master of Agricultural Science; PhD (Medicine).

Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:

Principal Supervisor for PhD

Location:

Darwin - Royal Darwin Hospital campus

Biography:

Professor Amanda Leach AM is leader of the Ear Health Research Program, Child Health Division.

Prof Leach has 157 career publications; her 1994 PhD publication (cited by 408) described for the first time that Indigenous infants acquire nasopharyngeal bacterial pathogens within weeks of life and that acquisition predicted onset of otitis media (OM).

Prof Leach led the 6-year NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Ear and Hearing Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to 2021. Prof Leach led the update of the 2010 OM Guidelines including an OM app using the highest quality international GRADE approach, also endorsed as a Guideline by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She was NHMRC lead investigator for two vaccine trials (PREVIX_COMBO and PREVIX_BOOST), a study of school readiness (VOICES), and is co-investigator of a CSOM treatment trial (IHEARBETA), two trials for treatment of OM in urban Aboriginal children (WATCH and INFLATE), two new trials of Aboriginal Health Practitioner ear support for Aboriginal children in hospital (Deadly Ears in Deadly Hands), and a trial of Azithromycin before Birth. 


Prof Leach is Joint Chair with Professor Kelvin Kong, for the 5-year Hearing for Learning Initiative – a funding partnership between The Balnaves Foundation, the Northern Territory Government, and the Australian Government. The goal of this stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial of accredited and skills training and employment in 20 communities is to establish local, sustainable, clinical and education expertise to support elimination of social and educational disadvantage caused by ear disease and hearing loss.

In 2011 she won a 6-year NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship which was awarded the inaugural Elizabeth Blackburn Fellowship for top ranking female applicant in the clinical category.

In 2019 Prof Leach won the Telstra NT Business Woman of the Year, and in 2020, Prof Leach was made a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for significant service to ear disease research, and to Indigenous child health.
 

Professor Amanda Jane Leach AM
Email
Research Themes
  1. Stazke C, ..., LEACH AJ. +13 authors et al.. Standard method for detecting upper respiratory carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae: updated recommendations from the World Health Organization Pneumococcal Carriage Working Group. Vaccine. 2013 Dec 17;32(1):165-79. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.08.062. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24331112/
  2. Leach AJ, Wigger C, Andrews R, Chatfield M, Smith-Vaughan H, Morris PS. Otitis media in children vaccinated during consecutive 7-valent or 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination schedules. BMC Pediatrics 2014; 14(1): 200-11. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2431-14-200  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25109288/
  3. Leach AJ, Wigger C, Hare K, Hampton V, Beissbarth J, Andrews R, Chatfield M, Smith-Vaughan H, Morris PS. Reduced middle ear infection with non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae, but not Streptococcus pneumoniae, after transition to 10-valent pneumococcal non-typeable H. influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine. BMC Pediatrics. 2015 15(1):162-175. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-015-0483-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26482232/
  4. Leach AJ, Wigger C, Beissbarth J, Woltring D, Andrews R, Chatfield MD, Smith-Vaughan H, Morris PS. General health, otitis media, nasopharyngeal carriage and middle ear microbiology in Northern Territory Aboriginal children vaccinated during consecutive periods of 10-valent or 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2016 86:224-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2016.05.011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27260611/
  5. Leach AJ, Homøe P, Chidziva C, Gunasekera H, Kong K, Bhutta MF, Jensen R, Tamir SO, Das SK, Morris P. Panel 6: Otitis media and associated hearing loss among disadvantaged populations and low to middle-income countries. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020 130 Suppl 1(March):109857. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.109857. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32057518/
  6. LEACH AJ, Morris PS, Coates HL, Nelson S, O'Leary SJ, Richmond PC, Gunasekera H, Harkus S, Kong K, Brennan-Jones CG, Brophy-Williams S, Currie K, Das SK, Isaacs D, Jarosz K, Lehmann D, Pak J, Patel H, Perry C, Reath JS, Sommer J, Torzillo PJ. Otitis media guidelines for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: summary of recommendations. Med J Aust. 2021 214(5):228-233. DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50953. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33641192/
  7. Su JY, Guthridge S, He VY, Howard D, LEACH AJ. The impact of hearing impairment on early academic achievement in Aboriginal children living in remote Australia: a data linkage study. BMC Public Health. 2020 Oct 7;20(1):1521. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09620-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33028291/
  8. Leach AJ, Mulholland EK, Santosham M, et al. Interchangeability, immunogenicity and safety of a combined 10-valent pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (Synflorix) and 13-valent-PCV (Prevenar13) schedule at 1-2-4-6 months: PREVIX_COMBO, a 3-arm randomised controlled trial. Vaccine X. 2021 7:100086. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2021.100086. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33681756/
  9. Leach AJ, Mulholland EK, Santosham M, Torzillo PJ, McIntyre P, Smith-Vaughan H, Wilson N, Arrowsmith B, Beissbarth J, Chatfield MD, Oguoma VM, Morris PS. Otitis media outcomes of a combined 10-valent pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule at 1-2-4-6 months: PREVIX_COMBO, a 3-arm randomised controlled trial. BMC Pediatr. 2021 21(1):117. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02552-z. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33685411/
  10. Leach AJ, Wilson N, Arrowsmith B, … Oguoma VM, Morris PS. Immunogenicity, otitis media, hearing impairment, and nasopharyngeal carriage 6-months after 13-valent or ten-valent booster pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, stratified by mixed priming schedules: PREVIX_COMBO and PREVIX_BOOST randomised controlled trials. Lancet Infect Dis. 2022 22(9):1374-1387. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00272-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35772449/
  11. Leach AJ, Wilson N, Arrowsmith B, et al. Hearing loss in Australian First Nations children at 6-monthly assessments from age 12 to 36 months: Secondary outcomes from randomised controlled trials of novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedules. PLoS medicine 2024; 21(6): e1004375. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004375. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38829821/

 

Click here to view more Amanda Leach publications in PubMed.
  1. MEDIA RELEASE | New research: NT children receive an effective vaccine to reduce hearing loss
  2. MEDIA RELEASE | NHMRC Grants awarded to investigate local and global health challenges
  3. MEDIA RELEASE | Landmark vaccine study identifies innovative use of vaccines for protection of babies worldwide
  4. Hopes AI program can treat Indigenous hearing loss in remote areas
  5. New interactive guidelines for healthy ears
  6. New multi-platform interactive guidelines for healthy ears
  7. Ear disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  8. Otitis media guidelines for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  9. ABC News | 2021 NT Order of Australia recipients include scientists, space researchers and police
  10. Graduates ready to help solve chronic Indigenous hearing loss
  11. CDU academics named among world’s most influential
  12. University of Newcastle | Aboriginal ear surgeon honoured with Menzies Medallion
  13. Aboriginal ear surgeon honoured with Menzies Medallion
  14. The health initiative placing Tiwi ears in Tiwi hands
  15. NT News | Graduates a boost for ear health
  16. Menzies School of Health Research puts Tiwi ears in Tiwi hands
  17. First Nations Telegraph | Tiwi ears in Tiwi hands
  18. Katherine recruits wanted to help with chronic ear health problems
  19. Media release | Tiwi ears in Tiwi hands
  20. Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in the NT
  21. You can't learn if you can't hear - sign up to become a community ear health helper
  22. Hearing for Learning in the Northern Territory
  23. You can't learn if you can't hear - sign up to become a community ear health helper
  24. Hearing for Learning on Bathurst Island
  25. Hearing loss impacts school attendance among Australia's aboriginal children
  26. High levels of hearing loss are linked with absenteeism
  27. Hearing loss linked to poor school attendance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
  28. Media Release | Hearing loss linked to poor school attendance in the Northern Territory
  29. Hearing loss linked to poor school attendance in the Northern Territory
  30. It’s possible to take a break from science and make a comeback
  31. Severe specialist shortage leaves Aboriginal children at risk of hearing loss
  32. Mix 104.9 | 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Awards
  33. 'I cried from happiness': Indigenous toddler hears her first words
  34. Government funded health programs for NT's deaf children
  35. Media Release | Improved ear and hearing planned for children in Maningrida
  36. Indigenous issues top to-do list as super-rich urged to dig deep
  37. NT News | Big Night for Territorians
  38. Indigenous health in limelight at Telstra Business Women’s Awards
  39. NT News | Prof Amanda Leach 2019 Telstra NT Business Woman of the Year
  40. Menzies researchers’ finalists in the 2019 Telstra Business Women’s Awards
  41. NT News | Our children's hearing crisis
  42. New program to tackle ear infection crisis
  43. The Australian | Silence is golden but not when it’s permanent
  44. Lend me your ear: New program targets hearing problems in NT children
  45. Hearing loss a serious issue
  46. Daily Mail | How 90 PER CENT of Aboriginal children are born with ear disease and most will end up half-deaf with brain development problems
  47. ABC | 'Glue ear' project to fight hearing loss and improve outcomes for Aboriginal children
  48. Ear Health Funding
  49. Investing in Territory Kids and Generational Change – Hearing for Learning
  50. NT News 14 August 2018 OMOZ 2018 coverage and editorial
  51. Indigenous ear health the "missing piece of the disadvantage puzzle"
  52. Australian Doctor - otitis media clinical trial
  53. New Vaccine could help reduce Chronic ear disease.
  54. Extra vaccines may reduce 'unacceptable rates' of chronic ear disease in Indigenous children
  55. New treatment trialled in battle against ear disease
  56. Menzies secures 2016 NHMRC funding for groundbreaking projects
  57. Bulging ear drums and hearing loss: Aboriginal kids have the highest otitis media rates in the world
  58. Support call over children's ear health
  59. What is the relationship between lifelong hearing loss and Indigenous incarceration? A powerful story to mark Hearing Awareness Week
  60. Call to prevent hearing loss and improve school readiness in young children
  61. Menzies ear and hearing health program wins $2.5 million in ‘research excellence’ funding
  62. ABC Darwin: Menzies launches giant ear
  63. Health to shine at Close The Gap Day Charity Breakfast
  64. Territory researchers win national awards
  65. Ear disease affecting Territory children