Michaela Waak

The university of Queensland

Michaela is one of the few paediatric specialists internationally with fellowships in paediatrics, neurology and paediatric intensive care medicine. She is an academic neurointensivist, clinical researcher with special interest in impact of PICU related complications on the brains of children and subsequently long-term outcomes for the child and family as well as the impact of a neurocritical care program (stroke and EEG monitoring) in PICU.
She has implemented significant improvements in the care of children through audits, guideline developments and research including an EEG pathway and paediatric code stroke process locally as well as contributing to the current development of a state-wide and national protocols. Trauma informed and person-centred care principles guide these consumer co-designed initiatives.
She is investigating the impact of an interdisciplinary educational program for paediatric neurocritical care and is inaugural faculty member and co-author of the national education and training course in neurocritical care (Paediatric Neuro-critical Care: beyond BASIC), the first paediatric course of its kind. She is passionate about improving management and outcomes of critically ill children through PICU Liberation (picuSTARS program) focusing on paediatric post intensive care syndrome by establishing appropriate long-term follow up programs as part of the PICOLO network.
Nationally, she is contributing to research and guidelines through ANZICS, ANZCNS and the ESA, is a member of the cEEG monitoring taskforce (ESA) and the paediatric stroke group (ANZCNS) as well as an office-bearer of the ANZICS-PSG (neurocritical care working group chair).