Professor Sarah Robertson AO

Professor Sarah Robertson AO 
Professor of Reproductive Immunology, University of Adelaide 

Professor Sarah Robertson is a graduate of the University of Adelaide (BSc 1983; PhD 1993). She returned to Adelaide after periods at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) and University of Gothenburg (Sweden). She was funded as an National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellow for 18 years and was an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow until appointment to Director of the Robinson Research Institute (RRI) in October 2013. She stepped down as RRI Director to take up an NHMRC Investigator Award as Professorial Research Fellow in April 2021. 

Her research focus is mammalian reproduction and development, particularly immune regulation of fertility and pregnancy. She strives to advance understanding of the fundamental biology of conception, embryo implantation and early development, and to develop biologically rational approaches for managing ‘unexplained’ infertility and common pregnancy disorders.  

She partnered with Origio A/S to develop EmbryoGen, a novel immune-based intervention for repeated IVF failure and recurrent miscarriage now sold in more than 50 countries worldwide. Professor Robertson is funded by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and other industry partners to investigate novel strategies to tackle miscarriage, preeclampsia and preterm delivery.  

She is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2016) and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (2015), and a Fellow of the Society for Reproductive Biology (2011). Her work is funded by the NHMRC, the Australian Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation. Her research output includes more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers and reviews in high impact journals.