The fellowship scheme is designed for those with some research experience who aspire to a career that combines research with continued clinical practice.
Kylie Watson, Senior Midwife, Saint Mary’s Hospital has been awarded an NIHR Fellowship to support her research investigating the use of telemetry to monitor the fetal heart in labour.
Over 800,000 babies are born in the UK every year and the majority will be monitored in some way during the labour. Continuous monitoring of a baby’s heartbeat is recommended for women who enter labour with underlying conditions that may cause increased risk, allowing the clinical team to spot trends and take necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of problems. This involves the use of two flat discs attached to the women’s abdomen and connected via leads to a machine. This form of monitoring has advantages; however it may hinder women from changing position during labour or using a birthing pool.
Through her research Kylie aims to get a better understanding of the use of telemetry, a wireless recorder which offers women more mobility during pregnancy, including outcomes and costs as well as the experience from a women’s perspective. The technology has been recommended for use by NICE and this research aims to broaden the understanding of and capture any effects of using telemetry to monitor the fetal heart in labour.
This research will be the first contemporary study of the use of telemetry in labour and will also contribute to the provision of information for women and health professionals, guidelines for fetal monitoring in labour, and training for health professionals and students.
Tope Adeniyi, Senior Clinical Embryologist in the Department of Reproductive Medicine (IVF unit), Old Saint Mary’s Hospital has been awarded an NIHR Fellowship to support his research investigating the impact of cryopreservation (freezing) on human eggs and embryos and how the procedure affects subsequent embryo development, and most importantly long-term health of children.
More than 35 years since the world’s first in-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) baby Louise Brown was born at Oldham Royal Hospital, an estimated 5 million babies have now been born worldwide using various Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). IVF babies now account for 2% of all babies born in the UK, so it is important for us to continuously investigate the safety of various ART procedures and the long-term impact of cryopreservation procedures, on eggs and embryos and the wellbeing of IVF babies.
Research in these areas will enable us improve results with cryopreservation of eggs and embryos for couples who are unable to achieve pregnancy naturally and reproductive aged women diagnosed with cancer who are required to undergo treatment which may compromise their fertility.
These are important challenges, especially as life expectancy for those with cancer continues to improve in the UK. Also, our understanding of the complex process of freezing and the culture environment that human embryos are grown will enhance our ability to fully unravel how these procedures can be optimised and used safely; in-order to ensure the well-being of all patients/ parents and children born from the application of these procedures.
Professor Daniel Brison, Scientific Director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine said “I am delighted that Tope has been awarded his fellowship and look forward to him working as part of our research programme improving the efficiency and safety of ART procedures”.
“Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The University of Manchester secured three of these awards in the last round of interviews.
It is particularly gratifying all three successful applicants, including Kylie and Tope, engaged with the Fellowship Academy in the University where we are trying to help people prepare for these awards. This type of partnership across the institutions is a great way of sharing best practice across Manchester healthcare and biomedical research and helping to bring on our next generation of star researchers.”
