Jenny Cao
International Health Project Officer

Background
Jenny is a public health professional with a broad background in health promotion, project management, research and advocacy across government, academic and NGO sectors. She is committed to social justice and work which addresses health inequities for women and girls, particularly those from systemically marginalised communities in Australia and globally.
Jenny’s research interests are in global health, maternal and newborn health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. At Burnet, her work has focused on studies on interventions to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality, and access to abortion including various systematic reviews, and qualitative studies. Jenny has also contributed to the World Health Organization’s guidelines on antenatal corticosteroids and tocolytics to improve preterm birth outcomes.
Prior to joining Burnet, Jenny has worked to foster international development cross-sector partnerships in the Asia-Pacific, in family violence prevention for migrant and refugee women and in infectious disease outbreak management.
Jenny holds a Master of Public Health degree, specialising in Gender and Women’s Health and Global Health, from the University of Melbourne. She also currently serves as a Board Director of Family Planning Alliance Australia.
Qualifications
- 2019 – 2023: Master of Public Health (Global Health, Gender and Women’s Health), The University of Melbourne
- 2016 – 2019: Bachelor of Biomedicine (Neuroscience), The University of Melbourne
Positions
- 2021–present: International Health Project Officer, Burnet, Australia
- 2022 – present: Board Director, Family Planning Alliance Australia, Australia
- 2021–2022: Prevention of Violence Against Women Project Officer, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, Australia
- 2020–2021: Public Health Officer, Department of Health, Victoria, Australia
- 2020: Research and Executive Officer, Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, Australia
- 2019–2020: Research and Policy Intern, Global Health Alliance Australia, Australia
Awards
- 2023: Miller Foundation Public Health Travel Award, Burnet
- 2022: Melbourne Global Scholars Award, The University of Melbourne
- 2021: Post-graduate Award, MacRob Foundation
- 2019: Leaders in Communities Award, The University of Melbourne
- 2016: Undergraduate Scholarship Award for the Bachelor of Biomedicine, The University of Melbourne (2016)
Burnet publications
View 5 moreIdentifying and assessing the capacity and experience of trial sites in low- and middle-income countries for high-quality randomised drug trials in maternal and perinatal health
BMJ Global Health
Maureen Makama et al
Migrant Mums and Maternity Care: A Qualitative Participatory Health Research Study
BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Martha Vazquez Corona et al
L‐Arginine and L‐Citrulline for Prevention and Treatment of Pre‐Eclampsia: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Maureen Makama et al
Current projects

WHO ACTION-III trial: antenatal corticosteroids for improving outcomes in preterm newborns
A multi-country trial of antenatal corticosteroid medication for pregnant people with a high probability of preterm birth.

Accelerating Innovation for Mothers (AIM) 2.0
Globally, approximately 287,000 women die every year from pregnancy-related conditions and complications, with most of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although investment in global maternal health has increased in the past 30 years, research and development (R&D) of new products has been a neglected area.
Past projects

Implementing the WHO Labour Care Guide to reduce the use of Caesarean section in four hospitals in India
We're helping implement the World Health Organization's (WHO) Labour Care Guide into four hospitals in India.

WHO recommendations on antenatal corticosteroids and tocolytics
We supported updates to the World Health Organization’s recommendations on the use of certain medications to improve preterm birth outcomes.