Lecturer
MBChB
Dr Coleen Caldwell is a Lecturer; she joined the University in 2017.
Col, a native of Northern Ireland, completed her medical training at the University of Dundee, Scotland, and migrated to New Zealand in 2008. As the convener of the 5th-year medical student Obstetrics and Gynaecology module, and contributor to the postgraduate teaching on the Diploma of Obstetrics and Medical Gynaecology, medical education is her focus.
She is a medical officer at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, providing sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Research interests
Her research interests reflect her dedication to advancing equitable, high-quality reproductive health services and supporting the professionals who deliver them, with an emphasis on abortion care. She has co-authored papers exploring the provision of second trimester abortion care. She has also contributed to research projects investigating people’s experiences of accessing abortion care in Aotearoa (with a particular focus on wāhine Māori) and examining clinicians’ perspectives on the stigma experienced by both patients and providers.
Professional bodies
Col brings leadership experience to her role having served as the chair of the Abortion Providers Group Aotearoa New Zealand (APGANZ), leading national advocacy and professional development initiatives aimed at improving abortion services across the country. She has also served on the board of the New Zealand College of Sexual and Reproductive Health, contributing to national policy and standards, and the development of education packages for healthcare professionals delivering abortion care and providing LARC.
Publications
Caldwell, C. (2025, June). Teamwork makes the dream work: Establishing an abortion service in a rural setting. Verbal presentation at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) Aotearoa Annual Scientific Meeting, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Daellenbach, R., Davies, L., Meeks, M., Caldwell, C., Welfare, M., & Ormandy, J. (2023). Interprofessional education for medical and midwifery students in Aotearoa New Zealand. In R. Davis-Floyd & A. Premkumar (Eds.), Obstetric violence and systemic disparities: Can obstetrics be humanized and decolonized? (pp. 236-255). New York, NY: Berghahn. doi: 10.3167/9781800738348 Chapter in Book - Research
Whiting, R., Paterson, H., Hudspith, A., & Caldwell, C. (2022). Willing but not able: A survey of New Zealand health practitioners' interests in providing second trimester abortion care and the obstacles they face. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62, 779-785. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13602 Journal - Research Article
Hudspith, A., Paterson, H., Caldwell, C., & Whiting, R. (2022). Leaps ahead in law but not in practice: Why we need to train in second trimester abortion care. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62, 140-146. doi: 10.1111/ajo.13454 Journal - Research Article