This conference is hosted by the Harris Centre, University of Liverpool. We thought it would be helpful to introduce ourselves so you know our background and can recognise us on the day.
Dr Angharad Care is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at the Harris Research Centre, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, University of Liverpool. Dr Care has been involved in preterm birth prevention research and clinical practice for over a decade and has published manuscripts, book chapters and media articles on this topic.
Dr Laura Goodfellow is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at the Harris Research Centre, Liverpool Women’s Hospital, University of Liverpool. Dr Goodfellow has led the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) study into preterm prelabour rupture of membranes under 23 weeks’ gestation, which forms the basis of our opening session. Dr Goodfellow’s MD focused on the role of the vaginal microbiota in recurrent early preterm birth and she is now also building upon this by investigating the interaction between yeasts, bacteria and recurrent early preterm birth.
Jenny is a midwife and has worked in the Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, since 2003. A founder member of the UK Preterm Clinical Network (UKPCN), she developed and continues to manage the Preterm Clinical Network (PCN) Database (www.medscinet.net/ukpcn). Her PhD focused on threatened preterm labour and development of the QUiPP app. She currently works with Tommy’s National Centre for Preterm Birth Research and others on a variety of projects focused on preterm birth prediction and prevention.
Manju is a consultant obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She has expertise in providing holistic care to women in low and high-risk pregnancies, with special interests in the areas of preterm birth prediction and prevention, diabetes in pregnancy and HIV in pregnancy. She is the clinical lead for the Maternity Assessment Unit, co-lead for Research and Development for Women’s, and the Obstetric Lead for the Health Innovation Network South London. Her work includes driving implementation programmes such as Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Labour (PReCePT), Pan-London In Utero Transfer System, BAPM/MatNeoSIP Perinatal Optimisation, Culture and Leadership programmes.
Angela is a Research Midwife, part of the Preterm Birth Team & Women and Children’s Health Department at St Thomas’ Hospital. She is currently working as a midwife in the Preterm Birth Clinic and as a research midwife on preterm birth and fetal medicine studies.
Debbie is a Senior Research Midwife working in the Prem Clinic and specialising in Preterm Birth Studies.
Dr Gent is an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Dr Gent’s primary research interest is multiple pregnancies, specifically prediction and prevention of preterm birth. Dr Gent is currently undertaking my MD exploring the vaginal microbiome and metabolome and its associations with spontaneous preterm birth in twins.
Aggie completed her MBChB at Manchester University, and academic foundation training in Lancashire & the Institute for Women’s Health, UCL prior to commencing specialty training in Surrey, Kent and now South London. She has worked in the Department of Women and Children’s Health, King’s College London, as a clinical research fellow between 2018-2024. Her main research interest is investigating preterm birth using advanced MR of the cervix and is coordinating the CRAFT study.
Kim is PA to our head of department, and all round expert on the department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Liverpool and a fabulously organised person. Kim has been working in the department for over 20 years, and tells us that she loves working here with a great team. We love her too!
Megan is a Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Preterm Birth, and a Specialist Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Her research interests include the prediction, prevention and management of preterm birth, and the use of imaging techniques to better understand the implications of obstetric conditions on the fetus and placenta.
Karen is the preterm birth MDT co-ordinator for Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. Karen plays a key role in keeping us all on track.
Dr Ffion Jones is an obstetric registrar working at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Dr Jones is currently undertaking a 2 year clinical research fellowship working as the regional preterm birth clinical fellow for Cheshire & Merseyside, working closely with other local units across the region to ensure quality and consistent care across the strategic clinical network and local maternity system. Dr Jones am also undertaking a Masters degree in Clinical Leadership & Management to complement this work.
Laura is a Clinical Research Fellow in Preterm Birth at King’s College. She did her medical training at Barts and the London, School of Medicine and Dentistry as well as an Intercalated Bachelor of Science in Women’s Health at King’s College. She is currently doing research into the prediction and prevention of preterm birth. She is working on a randomised control trial comparing transabdominal cerclage versus transvaginal cerclage in women with a previous caesarean section in labour and subsequent mid-trimester loss or spontaneous preterm birth (ABOVE).
Dr Elizabeth Medford is an Obstetric Registrar and Clinical Research Fellow in Preterm Birth at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Dr Medford is currently undertaking two research studies which explore the potential of quantitative cervical stiffness assessments in high-risk obstetric populations including patients at high risk for preterm birth and patients undergoing induction of labour.
Gemma is the Lead Midwife for Preterm birth in Cheshire & Mersey, with a keen interest in preterm birth and improving outcomes for women and their families, especially those living in deprivation. Prior to midwifery my education and interests included women’s health and wellbeing and the factors that influence health outcomes. This has now come full circle, as these are often risk factors for preterm birth, allowing me the opportunity to support families, implement change and develop services in this field.
Nicole is an Irish Obstetrics and Gynaecology trainee. She completed her Basic Speciality Training in Dublin, following which she became a clinical preterm fellow at St. Thomas’ Hospital. She is now working as part of the Insight2/Pregnolia team, investigating cervical stiffness in pregnancy, for prediction of preterm birth
Kruti is an International Medical Graduate who completed her Postgraduation training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in India. In addition, she’s also cleared the MRCOG (UK) post-graduation exams and is currently working as a clinical preterm fellow at St. Thomas’ Hospital. Her special interests are Fetal Medicine and prediction, prevention, and management of preterm birth.
Dr Roberts was appointed as a Consultant in Obstetrics & Fetal Medicine to the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust in 2000. Dr Roberts has had a career-long special interest in prenatal diagnosis, preterm birth prevention and clinical governance. Dr Roberts has been a contact reviewer on the Cochrane antenatal corticosteroids review until recently and was chief investigator for the AMIPROM trial – a RCT on amnioinfusion in very early preterm premature rupture of membranes. Dr Roberts currently chairs thevCheshire and Mersey Preterm Birth Network, a consortium of clinicians delivering Saving Babies Lives compliance and improved outcomes in a region with high rates of social deprivation. System-wide roles include CQC National Professional Advisor for Maternity and Clinical Director for the Cheshire & Mersey ICB/LMNS Women’s Health Programme. Dr Roberts is committed to achieving the best outcomes for birthing people and their babies by promoting a holistic approach and providing evidence based care
Vicky qualified as a midwife in 2002 and has worked at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since 2016. Her role includes research, specialising in preterm birth, early pregnancy, sickle cell and fetal medicine studies, as well as co-facilitating the large prematurity surveillance clinic’ held weekly at St Thomas’ Hospital. Vicky is currently undertaking an in-house research internship (ACORN), focusing on mid trimester care provision and experiences.
Jenna qualified as a midwife in 2018, before moving into the world of academia. Her MSc project at Imperial College London led to a research post at King’s College London investigating the role of ursodeoxycholic acid in preventing poor outcomes in pregnancies affected by intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. She is currently in the writing-up period of her MRC-funded PhD project, also at King’s College, characterising KV7 channels in the myometrium for use as a potential target for preterm birth prevention.
Dr Sharp is an academic obstetrician with an interest in fetal medicine and complex pregnancies. His main clinical and research interests include preterm birth, multiple pregnancy and fetal growth restriction. Dr Sharp is the Director of Research, Development and Innovation at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and an investigator on the Wellcome Trust funded birth cohort Children Growing Up in Liverpool and Civic Data Cooperative data linkage initiative.
Andy is Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London, based at St. Thomas’ Hospital and is Clinical Director of South London Clinical Research Network. He leads an NIHR Global Health Research Group (2021-2024) and was Chair of the FIGO Preterm Birth Committee 2021-23. He sits on the UK HTA commissioning board. He has an active clinical role in managing high risk obstetric patients, including a regular hands-on labour ward commitment, and a specialist award winning preterm birth surveillance clinic that accepts national and international referrals. He was awarded an OBE in 2018 for services to maternity care.
Lisa is a Senior Lecturer at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant in Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital. She currently holds an NIHR Advanced Fellowship, and her research interests include utilising advanced MRI techniques to investigate pregnancies at high risk of preterm birth and optimal care for patients with PPROM.
Delphine is a midwife working in Department of Women and Child Health at St Thomas’ Hospital. She was a nurse for 20 years before becoming a midwife in 2015. She is now working in preterm birth, fetal medicine and intra-partum studies as well as being part of prematurity surveillance clinic team. She is the link learner midwife for student midwives for research.
Natalie is a clinical lecturer and Wellcome Clinical Career Development fellow with a research interest in Preterm birth. She completed her PhD at UCL in December 2017. She is currently a Maternal and Fetal medicine subspecialty trainee at St Thomas’ Hospital, London.