Dr Kathryn Shepherd

Kathryn is a Paediatric Rheumatologist with experience caring for children and young people with a wide range of rheumatological conditions. Her clinical interests include juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), juvenile dermatomyositis, vasculitis, uveitis and periodic fever syndromes.

Kathryn grew up in Ballarat and completed her medical degree at the University of Melbourne. She also holds a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from James Cook University. Kathryn started her paediatric training at the Royal Children’s Hospital before going on to complete specialist training in paediatric rheumatology at both the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital in the UK. Kathryn currently works as a Paediatric Rheumatologist at Monash Children’s Hospital and maintains a casual appointment at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Kathryn understands the importance of young person and family-centered care. She strives to empower young people with the knowledge and confidence to manage their own health, as developmentally appropriate. She believes good communication is key to achieving the best possible outcomes for her patients. Kathryn is passionate about providing evidence-based care and keeps up to date with emerging evidence through participation at regular meetings, conferences, and collaboration with colleagues.

Away from work Kathryn enjoys tackling her ever-expanding list of home improvement and gardening projects with her young (always helpful) family.