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School of Life Course & Population Sciences
Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

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Mother and child: metabolic disorders, diabetes and obesity

 

The focus of this theme is to understand and to improve the consequences of maternal diabetes, metabolic and endocrine disorders, and the impact of obesity, on pregnancy outcomes and the future health of mother and child.

Through preclinical basic science programmes and clinical studies, we are:

  • Characterising the physiological processes and the cellular and molecular mechanisms whereby a baby’s in utero exposure in pregnancy gives rise to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders in later life.
  • Performing in-depth mechanistic studies designed to better understand pathways and sub-types of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy to inform precision management approaches.
  • Using prediction, risk stratification, metabolic profiling and other innovative approaches to optimise management of diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders in pregnancy (including hyperemesis gravidarum, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, steatotic liver disease).
  • Using routinely collected clinical and research data (pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and post-partum) to understand and characterise local, national, and international patient populations to facilitate better care and health outcomes
  • Undertaking intervention studies in women of reproductive age using new technology, repurposed and novel medications and dietary/behavioural approaches to optimise metabolic gestational disorders.
  • Using qualitative approaches to better understand drivers of behaviour (for example, infant feeding choice) and the impact of living with maternal metabolic disease.
Cross-cutting themes include the impacts of multi-morbidity, intersectionality, social deprivation, inequalities, and the social determinants of health.

 

Theme Contact

Paul Taylor

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