Professor Nicky Leap has been appointed a Clinical Chair in Midwifery Practice Development and Research – a joint appointment of UTS Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health and South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service.

A registered midwife for over twenty years, Professor Leap was awarded the annual Midwife of the Year honour by the NSW Midwives Association earlier this year.

The new Chair has been established to promote professional midwifery practice and maternity service provision and to strengthen the research base for improved maternity care.

"The role allows me to continue to develop collaborative, community based models of care whereby women have the same midwife or small group of midwives through pregnancy, labour and birth and then the early weeks after their child is born," Professor Leap said.

"Across the world such initiatives have been shown to improve health outcomes for women, their babies, families and communities. Results have been especially positive for those whose circumstances lead to social isolation and exclusion."

Professor Leap has worked across midwifery research, education and practice in both the UK and Australia and was most recently Director of Midwifery Practice with South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service. She was integrally involved in the development and implementation of the Bachelor of Midwifery in South Australia and NSW, at UTS.

A dedicated researcher, Professor Leap was involved in the Australian Midwifery Competency Project, which led to the development of National Competency Standards for Midwives. She played a pivotal role in the implementation of NSW's first publicly funded homebirth program now being offered in the St George area.

Professor Leap is currently leading a two year pilot study to develop, implement and test Centering Pregnancy, an innovative program providing support, antenatal assessment and education for pregnant women in small groups.

Professor Leap is also part of the research team investigating the transition of care of women and their newborn babies between midwifery services to child and family health services.

Professor Leap completed her Professional Doctorate in Midwifery at UTS last year, her dissertation examining the participation of midwives in the development of midwifery models of care and midwifery education.

The appointment cements UTS's leadership in midwifery research and education. UTS offered the first Bachelor of Midwifery in NSW and continues to be the only university in the State to offer the course as a stand alone program.