Dr. Rachel O'Connor

Dr. Rachel O'Connor is a specialist in Reproductive Medicine and IVF based at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and the Queensland Fertility Group. With over 16 years dedicated to fertility medicine, Dr. O'Connor is one of Queensland's most experienced reproductive endocrinologists, helping hundreds of patients annually achieve their family-building goals.

Dr. O'Connor completed her specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology before undertaking subspecialty training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (CREI). She holds CREI certification, recognising her as one of a select group of reproductive medicine specialists in Australia who have met the highest standard of subspecialty training through RANZCOG and FSANZ.

Dr. O'Connor's practice encompasses the full spectrum of fertility treatments, from initial investigation and ovulation induction to complex IVF cycles and fertility preservation for patients facing cancer treatment or age-related fertility decline. She has a particular interest in recurrent implantation failure and recurrent pregnancy loss, and is an advocate for evidence-based, patient-centred fertility care.

Dr. O'Connor graduated in Medicine from the University of Queensland before completing her specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, earning Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRANZCOG).

She subsequently undertook a three-year subspecialty fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and the University of Queensland, achieving CREI certification. Her PhD in Reproductive Biology, completed at the University of Queensland, investigated endometrial receptivity factors in recurrent implantation failure. She has also undertaken advanced training at the ESHRE annual congress and completed a visiting fellowship at McGill University's Reproductive Centre in Montreal, Canada.

Dr. O'Connor offers the full range of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), frozen embryo transfer, and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A and PGT-M) for chromosomal and genetic screening of embryos. She has particular expertise in managing patients with PCOS, endometriosis-associated infertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss.

Fertility preservation is an increasingly important area of Dr. O'Connor's practice, including egg freezing for oncology patients and elective fertility preservation. She performs hysteroscopy and laparoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of uterine pathology and endometriosis that may affect fertility. She also coordinates donor egg and donor sperm programmes within Queensland Fertility Group.

Dr. O'Connor has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers in journals including Human Reproduction, Fertility and Sterility, and the Medical Journal of Australia. Her research priorities include endometrial receptivity testing, the role of the endometrial microbiome in implantation, and optimising stimulation protocols for poor ovarian responders.

She has received NHMRC and FSANZ research grants totalling over AUD 2 million and serves on the editorial board of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. She is a regular presenter at the FSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting and the ESHRE Congress and mentors junior researchers through the University of Queensland's academic department.

Dr. O'Connor has extensive experience working with international patients travelling to Brisbane for fertility treatment, including patients from New Zealand, Pacific island nations, and Southeast Asia. Queensland Fertility Group's dedicated international patient coordinators can assist with scheduling, travel planning, and coordinating monitoring scans with local clinics in the patient's home country.

Initial consultations and cycle planning can often be conducted via video, allowing patients to begin investigations and medication protocols before travelling to Brisbane for egg collection and embryo transfer. Dr. O'Connor's team can also coordinate follow-up care and transfer of embryos internationally where legally permitted.

Dr. O'Connor has received the FSANZ Young Investigator Award, the University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine Research Excellence Award, and recognition as a Fellow of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand. She has been consistently recognised in independent patient surveys as a leading IVF specialist in Queensland and was awarded the Queensland Women in Medicine Award for her contributions to reproductive health.