Cherie (Rie) Choong

Western Health Inspire Award (Individual) 2024

• Recognizes an individual whose dedication and professionalism embody Western Health’s core values—Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Safety—inspiring others and enhancing the experience of patients, staff, and the broader community

Junior Medical Staff of the Month 2024

Mentor in The University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Mentoring Program, 2023 - current 

• A 5-month initiative that pairs penultimate and final-year students with alumni mentors, who provide one-on-one career guidance, professional development, and support to help students transition from university to the workforce

Anatomy Demonstrator at the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 2019, 2012

• Teaching and supporting students in human anatomy courses within the medical and biomedical programs at The University of Melbourne, by guiding students through anatomy laboratory sessions, including the use of cadaveric specimens, models, and digital resources

Chi C, Loy SL, Chan SY, Choong C, Soh SE, Tint MT, et al. Impact of adopting the 2013 World Health Organization criteria for diagnosis of gestational diabetes in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort: a prospective study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018;18(1):165.

• Article published in Biomed Central (BMC) Pregnancy and Childbirth in 2018
• Poster presented at The University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine Student Conference 2015
• Research undertaken at National University Hospital, Singapore, 2015 to 2018
• Role: Co-investigator and author
• Skills developed: Epidemiological study design, ethical considerations in research, systematic data collection and management, clinical and biostatistical analysis, scientific writing
• Supervisor: Dr Claudia Chi

Current Project 

• Assessing risk factors associated with delivery of small-for-gestational-age infants in women with gestational diabetes at The Northern Hospital
• I have just begun data collection for this retrospective audit; the hypothesis is that low pre-pregnancy BMI, poor gestational weight gain and borderline glucose tolerance test results are associated with a higher incidence of small-for-gestational-age infants, and that less aggressive glucose management may be more appropriate in these women with gestational diabetes
• Role: Co-investigator and author
• Supervisor: A/Prof Erosha Premaratne

Submitted (undergoing minor revision) – Commentary/Viewpoint

Choong C, Dharma M, Barmanray RD. Not all hyperglycaemia in hospitalized pneumonia is created equal. 2025.

• Commentary on hyperglycaemia in community-acquired pneumonia, presenting the viewpoint that there seems to be distinct subtypes of hyperglycaemia that appear to behave differently: inflammation-mediated hyperglycaemia which reflects disease severity and predicts poorer outcomes, vs. steroid-induced hyperglycaemia which is a treatment side effect and does not seem to increase mortality risk according to evidence from COVID-19 cohorts
• Role: Corresponding author, writing of original draft
• Skills developed: identifying practical challenges such as the lack of a standardized definition of hyperglycaemia, searching and analyzing evidence, scientific writing presenting conclusions and future research directions
• Submitted to Internal Medicine Journal July 2025, currently undergoing minor revision
• Supervisor: Dr Rahul Barmanray

Joint audit between Western Health Endocrinology and Oncology departments  

• Wong V, Choong C, Philip M, Ogluszko C, et al. If Only These Bones Could Talk: Real-world Management of Bone Health in Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients on Androgen Deprivation Therapy. 2019.
• Oral presentation of abstract at Young Oncologist’s section of the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA) Annual Scientific Meeting 2020
• Role: Co-investigator and author
• Skills developed: Clinical audit and data collection from health records, literature review and guideline appraisal, scientific writing and advocacy for practice change
• Supervisor: A/Prof Shane Hamblin

• Endocrine Society of Australia
• Australian Diabetes Society

Small business design studio

I founded and currently run a small business called Kingyo Kintsugi that specializes in embroidered artwork of Japanese irezumi design

Tattoo studio

My partner and I own an established tattoo studio, Dynamic Tattoo, in Melbourne

Nature and travel

I enjoy bushwalking with my children and our dog, Barley, as well as exploring the world with my young family