Keynote Speakers

Laura Goodfellow is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer at the Harris-Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Liverpool. Her primary research interest is prediction, prevention, and optimisation of preterm birth. Her MD focused on the role of the vaginal microbiota in recurrent early preterm birth and found an increased bacterial load associated with adverse outcome. Laura is planning to develop three areas of interest over her lectureship: the role of infection and inflammation in preterm birth; interpretation and dissemination of UKOSS data about extremely preterm prelabour rupture of membranes; and improving maternity staff experience to psychological trauma in the workplace.

Alan Jobe is Professor of Pediatrics in the divisions of Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, University of Cincinnati. Professor Jobe performed many of the metabolic and physiologic studies that resulted in FDA approval of surfactant for the treatment of Respiratory Distress Syndrome. His research interests are in surfactant homeostasis, lung injury and Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, fetal inflammation, and lung development.

Mala Mahendroo, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and member of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She completed her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX in 1992. Her research program utilizes mouse genetics, genomics and cell biology approaches to understand molecular processes critical for cervical remodeling in term pregnancy and mouse models with premature and postterm birth. Her research is supported by funding from the National Institutes for Health, and the Burroughs Welcome Fund. In addition to publication of over 57 research articles, she has contributed to medical textbooks that include Williams Obstetrics and Creasy & Resnik’s Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Asma Khalil is a Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at St George’s Hospital, University of London. She is a subspecialist in Maternal and Fetal Medicine and is the Lead for the Twin and Multiple Pregnancy service at St George’s Hospital. She also leads the Reproductive Health Research Group at St George’s Hospital.

Andrew Judge has been a Professor of Translational Statistics at the Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol since 2017. He retains an appointment at NDORMS, and Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM), University of Oxford, where he was recently conferred the title of full Professor in the 2017 Recognition of Distinction awards. Professor Judge is a translational statistician providing a bridge between innovative epidemiological study designs and advanced statistical methodology, that can be applied to practically usable clinical studies that have impact and lead to improved health outcomes.

Katie Morris is Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Birmingham. Her research employs diverse methodologies including prognostic modelling, test accuracy research, epidemiology studies, randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. This research is funded from research councils and charities including MRC, HTA, RfPB, Wellbeing of Women, British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society, Twins and Multiple Births Association, Mary Crosse Foundation and Richard and Jack Wiseman Trust. She is Director of the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit and President of the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society.

Zarko Alfirevic recently retired as Professor of Fetal and Maternal Medicine at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, and Head of Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at the University of Liverpool. His main research interests are evidence based medicine and clinical trials in high risk obstetrics.