Sarah Hammond is an Adelaide based researcher with a strong focus on early childhood development. She holds a diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care, and completed her Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences in 2020, followed by First Class Honours in 2021 under Associate Professor Kathy Gatford at the Robinson Research Institute, where she studied how maternal asthma may affect fetal airway development; predisposing asthma development in children. In 2022, Sarah commenced a PhD at the University of South Australia under the supervision of Professor Janna Morrison in the Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group. Her research explores how fetal growth restriction (FGR)—a condition resulting from reduced oxygen and/or nutrient supply in the womb—affects the development of the hippocampus, a critical brain structure for memory, learning, and emotional regulation. By using preclinical models, Sarah aims to identify how impaired brain development associated with FGR may contribute to long-term cognitive and behavioural issues in affected children. In 2025, Sarah joined the BetterStart Group at the University of Adelaide, bringing together her scientific training and background in early childhood education and care to support the group’s overarching mission: understanding how to give infants, children, young people, and families the best possible start in life.Sarah has also been actively engaged in teaching at the University of Adelaide, and has been teaching into first year Human Anatomy & Physiology courses since 2021. In recognition of her academic potential, she was awarded the Healthy Development Adelaide PhD Excellence Award in 2022.