Professor Badawi is an expert on newborn encephalopathy and cerebral palsy and is the Macquarie Foundation Chair of Cerebral Palsy at the Cerebral Palsy Institute, Notre Dame University. In this, she is the chair of cerebral palsy research, a member of the steering group of IMPACT for CP, the Scientic Board of Cerebral Palsy International Foundation and was recently selected as one of Australia's most highly-respected researchers in an NHMRC publication "Working to build a Healthy Australia. Australian Research that is changing the world.
Her research interests include Research into prevention, best intervention and ultimately a cure for cerebral palsy, Newborn encephalopathy, Optimizing the survival and long term outcomes for babies admitted to neonatal intensive care, Primary education in developing countries.