Dr Nikki Panotidis (’92)
POSTED March 23 2026
Paediatrician. Advocate. Educator.
Dr Nikki Panotidis has built her career on strong advocacy, clinical expertise and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people. Her work spans specialist practice, medical education and state-level policy, placing her at the forefront of developmental paediatrics in Western Australia.
Nikki studied medicine at the University of Western Australia, beginning the journey with a close group of school friends who became known to the wider cohort as “the St Mary’s girls.” She trained in paediatrics with dual specialisation in General Paediatrics and Community Child Health, completing postgraduate training in Perth and interstate. During advanced training and research in Melbourne, she found her enduring interest in developmental paediatrics.
Her experience includes tertiary hospital practice, private multi-disciplinary work and a formative period providing paediatric care to Indigenous children in remote Northern Territory communities. This strengthened her commitment to addressing inequity in child health and supporting children with neurodevelopmental differences.
Nikki is now a Senior Consultant Paediatrician with the WA Child Development Service. She divides her time between training paediatric trainees within the Medical Education Team and working as a Senior Clinician on the Metrowide Autism Assessment Team. She has more than a decade of clinical experience supporting children with ADHD, complex behavioural presentations and diverse developmental and learning needs.
Medical education remains central to her work. As a Senior Lecturer with the UWA School of Paediatric Medicine, she has contributed to curriculum development, assessment frameworks, specialist examinations and student mentoring.
Known for her ability to bridge health and education, Nikki works closely with schools, to support student wellbeing and learning. In 2025, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority engaged her to prepare a Board‑requested report on equitable access to assessment.
Nationally, Nikki is a founding member of the Neurodevelopmental and Behavioural Paediatric Society of Australasia and has contributed to professional development and national guideline discussions. She has also volunteered with the WA Autism Diagnosticians Board, chairing working groups and informing responses to national diagnostic standards.
Nikki’s ties to St Mary’s remain strong. The lifelong friendships she formed in Junior School continue today, and her commitment to the School now extends to her role on the Board of Governors, following in the footsteps of her father, Van, who served on the Board for nearly a decade. Her family’s connection runs even deeper: her grandfather, Richard Broad, played a significant role in scoping the Karrinyup campus site – a legacy she carries forward with pride as a St Mary’s Old Girl.
