Dr. Gabrielle Jacobs is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, portrayed by Virginie Le Brun throughout two stints, from 2009 to 2012.

She arrived in February 2009 as a potential love interest for long serving character Chris Warner (Michael Galvin).

Appearing as the first character in the core cast with Asperger syndrome, Gabrielle was depicted as a successful Head of the Surgical Department who struggled with the social nature of her workplace.

Receiving praise from Autism groups nationwide, the character brought awareness to the reality of the disorder and opportunities available to those living with Aspergers.

[1][2] Le Brun was undergoing some family medical issues at the time, making surgery scenes difficult to endure.

[3] The casting was made public in January 2009 and it was said that Gabrielle's arrival in March would "immediately cause some consternation amongst her fellow colleagues.

[4] This axing came from mutual agreement between Le Brun and Producer Steven Zanoski agreed that the character and storylines had come to an end.

[5] Following weeks of speculation in the media, in March 2011 it was announced Gabrielle would be returning to Shortland Street after over a year off-screen.

Her absurd and antisocial behaviour amused yet confused several members of staff including CEO Callum McKay (Peter Mochrie), Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) and annoyed nurse Tania Jeffries (Faye Smythe).

After being offered a job in Zürich, Gabrielle began to question emotions and when Chris talked down to her, she broke it off with him and left the country.

She jumped into a relationship with manipulative Shane Tucker (Jason Hood) and later dated Jonathon McKenna (Kieren Hutchison).

[10] Le Brun described Gabrielle having a big heart, saying; "While her response is often quite severe, her intention never is – she's always coming from a good place.

[12] Le Brun was happy that a high-profile show such as Shortland Street was giving the condition coverage, stating; "I think it's really positive bringing something like this into the forefront.

[11] Storylines airing upon her first stint in 2009 saw colleagues bewildered and hesitant at the new doctor, with Kip Denton not handling no emotion in his relationship and quitting their brief liaison.

[18] Producer Steven Zanoski liked the partnership but noted flaws, stating; "Chris has always gone out with glamorous women in the past and now he's found someone who challenges his mind, it helps that she is gorgeous as well.

[25] As soon as she learnt about her character's condition, Le Brun accepted the heavy scrutiny she was going to receive due to the controversy of the topic.

The rise in awareness for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome that this character generated was fantastic and we commend Virginie Le Brun for the research she undertook before taking on this challenging role.

We would like to congratulate the makers of Shortland Street for presenting Asperger's Syndrome in a fair, balanced yet very entertaining way.