Dr Peña is a clinical academic and Paediatric Endocrinologist with a strong interest and expertise in childhood obesity and its comorbidities. Since her ANZOS Young Investigator Award (2008) she has continued with her research into early cardiovascular disease markers in obese children and strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease from childhood with her output published in highly cited obesity and endocrine journals as well as referenced in NHMRC obesity management guidelines. She was involved in the workshop for dissemination of revised NHMRC guidelines on obesity management and has been an active member in ANZOS Council. Her expertise has been recognised at an international level with her appointment as a member of the international consensus group on Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which is a comorbidity of obese adolescent girls. Currently she is an investigator of the PCOS NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence and the secretary of the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG).