Ada Cheung

Last updated
Principal Research Fellow
Ada Cheung
PhD
EducationUniversity of Melbourne (MBBS)
University of Melbourne (PhD)
Scientific career
Fields Transgender studies
Institutions University of Melbourne
Austin Hospital

Ada Cheung is an Australian clinical scientist, endocrinologist and researcher who is known for her research in transgender studies.

Contents

She holds both a NHMRC and Dame Kate Cambell Research fellowship as a principal research fellow at the University of Melbourne and works as a clinical scientist and endocrinologist at Austin Hospital in Melbourne. [1]

Education and career

Cheung earned a MBBS (Hons) in 2003, [2] and a PhD in 2017 at the University of Melbourne.

Prior to completing her PhD, together with Jeffrey Zajak, Cheung established a clinic in 2016 to serve trans and gender-diverse people. [3] [4]

After completing her degree in 2017, she established the Trans Health Research group at the University of Melbourne to improve the "health and wellbeing of trans and gender-diverse communities". [1] [5] Through the research led at the Trans Health Research group, she was able to help secure government funding for two trans health clinics and a state-wide training program for health professionals. Cheung promotes an informed consent approach to gender-affirming care and through her work has helped inform national guidelines in Australia on gender-affirming hormone therapy for transgender patients. [4] [6] [7]

Cheung serves as a board member on the Endocrine Society of Australia Council. [8] She also serves as a member of the Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (CoDI) at the international Endocrine Society. [9]

Cheung is an associate editor of the International Journal of Transgender Health. [10] She is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, [11] as well as a member of the editorial board of the journal on Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism. [12]

Cheung has been a guest on various medical podcasts. In 2019 she appeared on the Medical Journal of Australia podcast where she explained the new national guidelines on gender affirming care she helped co-author. [13] In 2020, Cheung appeared as a guest on the podcast MDQueer on the topic of gender-affirming hormone therapy. [14] In November 2023, she appeared on the Australian podcast The Latest in LGBTIQ+ Health and Policy. [15] In June 2024, Cheung appeared as a guest on the podcast Science Vs on the topic of Trans Kids’ Healthcare: Are We Getting It Wrong? alongside Professor Stephen Russell and Dr Cal Horton. [16]

Awards and recognition

Bibliography

Cheung has published a large number of highly cited research papers in peer-reviewed journals during her career. [21] Some select articles:

Related Research Articles

Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. The term replaced the previous diagnostic label of gender identity disorder (GID) in 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity and gender dysphoria, and creating standardized treatment for transgender and gender variant people. WPATH was founded in 1979 and named HBIGDA in honor of Harry Benjamin during a period where there was no clinical consensus on how and when to provide gender-affirming care. WPATH is mostly known for the Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People (SOC).

Pediatric endocrinology is a medical subspecialty dealing with disorders of the endocrine glands, such as variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, diabetes and many more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Testosterone cypionate</span> Chemical compound

Testosterone cypionate, sold under the brand name Depo-Testosterone among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is used mainly in the treatment of low testosterone levels in men, including hormone therapy for transgender men. It is given by injection into muscle or subcutaneously, once every one to four weeks, depending on clinical indication.

The Endocrine Society is a professional, international medical organization in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, founded in 1916 as The Association for the Study of Internal Secretions. The official name of the organization was changed to the Endocrine Society on January 1, 1952. It is a leading organization in the field and publishes four leading journals. It has more than 18,000 members from over 120 countries in medicine, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, physiology, genetics, immunology, education, industry, and allied health. The Society's mission is: "to advance excellence in endocrinology and promote its essential and integrative role in scientific discovery, medical practice, and human health."

Gender dysphoria in children (GD), also known as gender incongruence of childhood, is a formal diagnosis for children who experience significant discontent due to a mismatch between their assigned sex and gender identity. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder in children (GIDC) was used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) until it was renamed gender dysphoria in children in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5. The diagnosis was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

In the context of gender, passing is when someone is perceived as a gender they identify as or are attempting to be seen as, rather than their sex assigned at birth. Historically, this was common among women who served in occupations where women were prohibited, such as in combat roles in the military. For transgender people, it is when the person is perceived as cisgender instead of the sex they were assigned at birth. For example, someone who is a transgender man is passing if he is perceived as a cisgender man.

Masculinizing hormone therapy, also known as transmasculine hormone therapy or female-to-male hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy and gender affirming therapy which is used to change the secondary sexual characteristics of transgender people from feminine or androgynous to masculine. It is a common type of transgender hormone therapy, and is predominantly used to treat transgender men and other transmasculine individuals who were assigned female at birth. Some intersex people also receive this form of therapy, either starting in childhood to confirm the assigned sex or later if the assignment proves to be incorrect.

Feminizing hormone therapy, also known as transfeminine hormone therapy, is hormone therapy and sex reassignment therapy to change the secondary sex characteristics of transgender people from masculine or androgynous to feminine. It is a common type of transgender hormone therapy and is used to treat transgender women and non-binary transfeminine individuals. Some, in particular intersex people, but also some non-transgender people, take this form of therapy according to their personal needs and preferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transgender youth</span> Children and adolescents who are transgender

Transgender youth are children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Because transgender youth are usually dependent on their parents for care, shelter, financial support, and other needs, they face different challenges compared to adults. According to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, appropriate care for transgender youth may include supportive mental health care, social transition, and/or puberty blockers, which delay puberty and the development of secondary sex characteristics to allow children more time to explore their gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans woman</span> Woman assigned male at birth

Transgender women are women who were assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria may be treated with gender-affirming care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyproterone acetate</span> Chemical compound

Cyproterone acetate (CPA), sold alone under the brand name Androcur or with ethinylestradiol under the brand names Diane or Diane-35 among others, is an antiandrogen and progestin medication used in the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions such as acne, excessive body hair growth, early puberty, and prostate cancer, as a component of feminizing hormone therapy for transgender individuals, and in birth control pills. It is formulated and used both alone and in combination with an estrogen. CPA is taken by mouth one to three times per day.

Puberty blockers are medicines used to postpone puberty in children. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, which suppress the natural production of sex hormones, such as androgens and estrogens. Puberty blockers are used to delay puberty in children with precocious puberty. They are also used to delay the development of unwanted secondary sex characteristics in transgender children, so as to allow transgender youth more time to explore their gender identity. The same drugs are also used in fertility medicine and to treat some hormone-sensitive cancers in adults.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), also called hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or transgender hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy in which sex hormones and other hormonal medications are administered to transgender or gender nonconforming individuals for the purpose of more closely aligning their secondary sexual characteristics with their gender identity. This form of hormone therapy is given as one of two types, based on whether the goal of treatment is masculinization or feminization:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonid Poretsky</span> American endocrinologist

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Transgender health care includes the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental health conditions for transgender individuals. A major component of transgender health care is gender-affirming care, the medical aspect of gender transition. Questions implicated in transgender health care include gender variance, sex reassignment therapy, health risks, and access to healthcare for trans people in different countries around the world. Gender affirming health care can include psychological, medical, physical, and social behavioral care. The purpose of gender affirming care is to help a transgender individual conform to their desired gender identity.

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The medical uses of bicalutamide, a nonsteroidal antiandrogen (NSAA), include the treatment of androgen-dependent conditions and hormone therapy to block the effects of androgens. Indications for bicalutamide include the treatment of prostate cancer in men, skin and hair conditions such as acne, seborrhea, hirsutism, and pattern hair loss in women, high testosterone levels in women, hormone therapy in transgender women, as a puberty blocker to prevent puberty in transgender girls and to treat early puberty in boys, and the treatment of long-lasting erections in men. It may also have some value in the treatment of paraphilias and hypersexuality in men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine</span> Organization opposing transgender rights

The Society For Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) is a non-profit organization that is known for its opposition to gender-affirming care for transgender youth and for engaging in political lobbying. The group routinely cites the unproven concept of rapid-onset gender dysphoria and has falsely claimed that conversion therapy techniques are only practiced on the basis of sexual orientation rather than gender identity. SEGM is often cited in anti-transgender legislation and court cases, sometimes filing court briefs. It is not recognized as a scientific organization by the international medical community.

Breast measurement involves the measurement of the breasts for quantifying physical characteristics such as size, shape, and developmental state. A variety of different approaches have been employed for measuring the breasts.

References

  1. 1 2 "A/Prof Ada Cheung". University of Melbourne . Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Overcoming injustice: Dr Ada Cheung". University of Melbourne. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. 1 2 "A/Prof Ada Cheung receives the GLOBE Ally of the Year award". University of Melbourne. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 Harry Wood. "Associate Professor Ada Cheung: Accountability for greater impact". University of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "Trans Health Research". transresearch.org.au. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 "2021 SGOW Recipients". University of Melbourne. 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Cheung, Ada S.; Wynne, Katie; Erasmus, Jaco; Murray, Sally; Zajac, Jeffrey D. (2019). "Position statement on the hormonal management of adult transgender and gender diverse individuals". Medical Journal of Australia. 211 (3): 127–133. doi:10.5694/mja2.50259. PMID   31271465. Archived from the original on 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  8. ↑ "The Endocrine Society of Australia - Councillors". Endocrine Society of Australia . Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Voices from ENDO 2024". Endocrine Society . 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  10. ↑ "International Journal of Transgender Health - Editorial board". International Journal of Transgender Health . Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  11. ↑ "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Editors and Editorial Board". Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism . Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Editorial Board - Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism". Sage Publishing . Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "MJA Podcasts 2019 Episode 32: Hormone therapy for transgender and gender diverse adults, with Dr Ada Cheung". Medical Journal of Australia . 5 August 2019. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  14. ↑ "Interviewing Dr Ada Cheung on gender affirming hormone therapy". MDQueer Podcast. 20 September 2020. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  15. ↑ "Episode 21: Ada Cheung". The Latest in LGBTIQ+ Health and Policy. 15 November 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  16. ↑ "Trans Kids' Healthcare: Are We Getting It Wrong?". Science Vs . 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Endocrine Society honors Early Investigators Award winners". Endocrine Society . 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  18. ↑ "About - Dr Ada Cheung - Endocrinologist". endocrinologistmelbourne.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Past Winners - Victorian Pride Awards - GLOBE Victoria". GLOBE Victoria. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "50 remarkable and inspirational women in Australian science". Cosmos Magazine . 8 March 2024. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  21. ↑ "Ada Cheung - Google Scholar". Google Scholar . Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
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