Dr Esther Sharma RM, PhD
Research Associate
Research interests
- Midwifery
Biography
Esther has a background in public and maternal health. Her work focuses on understanding the maternity experiences and maternal and newborn health needs of under-researched and under-served women. She has a specific interest in the intersection between maternity and migration. Methodically, she engages with qualitative participatory and creative research methods in my research.
She is currently working on the ethnographic component of the NIHR-funded Core Study – an implementation science study evaluating the Core Competency Framework to improve multi-professional practice in maternity and neonatal care.
Other research projects on which she has previously worked include the development and evaluation of a community-based intervention to increase timely initiation of antenatal care among a socially disadvantaged and ethnically diverse community, and a project seeking to understand the intergenerational health impacts on children born to asylum-seeking mothers. She completed her PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, exploring the perinatal experiences of Afghan refugee women while making state-unauthorised journeys through Serbia into the European Union.
Research interests
- Refugee / migrant (maternal) health
- Equity in, and experiences of, maternity care.
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Research
Improving maternity and neonatal care in England: a formative evaluation of the implementation of the Core Competency Framework to improve multi-professional practice
The CORE Study explores and enhances the implementation and impact of multi-professional maternity and neonatal training in England to reduce variation in care.
Project status: Ongoing
Centre for Conflict & Health Research
Cross disciplinary initiative studying the intersection of global health, security, and political governance in conflict-affected fragile states and regions.
Features
Women on the move deserve more than just survival
In 2024, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, with more than half being women and girls.
Research
Improving maternity and neonatal care in England: a formative evaluation of the implementation of the Core Competency Framework to improve multi-professional practice
The CORE Study explores and enhances the implementation and impact of multi-professional maternity and neonatal training in England to reduce variation in care.
Project status: Ongoing
Centre for Conflict & Health Research
Cross disciplinary initiative studying the intersection of global health, security, and political governance in conflict-affected fragile states and regions.
Features
Women on the move deserve more than just survival
In 2024, over 120 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, with more than half being women and girls.