Bolstering world-class research in Women’s Health at UCLH

UCLH and UCL are at the forefront of Women’s Health care and research – across areas including reproductive health, maternity, breast care, care for newborns, gynaecological care, and cancer.

This work is carried out by teams within the UCLH Women’s Health Division and the UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women’s Health.

Now, the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at UCLH is aiming to strengthen this world-class research even further. This short article outlines how.

Addressing inequalities

Professor Anna David, consultant in obstetrics and maternal/fetal medicine at UCLH, oversees Women’s Health research at UCLH and UCL. Prof David, who is supported by the BRC, said: “Women’s health is an area of research which traditionally, around the world, has been under-supported. For conditions that only affect women, less investment has been put into new approaches to diagnostics, treatment and care. This has led to inequalities in care. We want to address these inequalities and generate insights which will improve the healthcare available to women – locally, nationally and internationally.”

Professor David is leading teams of researchers who are involved in a large portfolio of studies. These include trials of novel imaging and interventions to improve early detection of fetal problems, and reduce preterm birth and stillbirth, to studies testing therapies for infertility, menopause, and early prediction of ovarian cancer. The portfolio of research focusses on  important areas highlighted in the UK government’s Vision for Women’s Health Strategy.

Finding the most effective treatment for premature menopause

The POISE study aims to find the most effective treatment for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) – also known as premature menopause – where a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before the age of 40. The study, lead by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Professor Melanie Davies, will help reduce menopause side effects and longer-term health issues.

Improving the health of people with complex congenital conditions

Research led by consultant Reproductive Endocrinologist Dr Sophie Clarke aims to better understand the impact of treatment decisions on patients with differences of sex development/intersex conditions and complex congenital anomalies (structural differences with womb or vaginal development). The hope is that further understanding will ultimately lead to advances in patient care.

Simplifying and optimising fertility treatment

A team led by UCLH consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Mr Dimitrios Mavrelos will use modern methods such as AI to make IVF treatment easier for women with busy lives and other responsibilities. The research will develop new ways of helping women with existing gynaecological conditions conceive.

Working with data

A new role funded by the BRC is designed to enable researchers to make better use of data in research. Accessing the right data for research can be complex, and a new data manager is to work on making data in Women’s Health more accessible, more reusable once it has been collected, and collected in UCLH’s electronic health record system in a way which makes it more easily understandable to researchers.

Find out more:​​​​​ UCLH Women’s Health Division