The move unites expertise across the full translational pathway - from health research and large-scale clinical trials to clinical practice, education and policy impact. By joining NDWRH, NPEU will enhance and expand collaborative research focused on improving outcomes for women and babies in the UK and globally.
The strategic transition to bring together NPEU with NDWRH to consolidate and grow research into women’s, maternal and children’s health was agreed by the Heads of Department Professor Krina Zondervan of NDWRH, Professor Prabhat Jha (and his predecessor Professor Rory Collins) of Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), alongside NPEU Director, Professor Marian Knight and the Head of the Medical Sciences Division, Professor Gavin Screaton.
“The formal integration of NPEU into WRH is an exciting moment for women’s and reproductive health research and education at Oxford. By bringing together complementary strengths in clinical research, trials, data science and global health, we are creating a powerful, unified platform to accelerate discovery, translation and impact.”Professor Krina Zondervan, Head of the Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health
“Joining WRH provides NPEU with new opportunities to deepen collaboration with clinical and academic colleagues working across the breadth of early life, women’s and reproductive health. This alignment strengthens our shared ambition to generate high-quality evidence that improves care and saves the lives of women and children globally.”Professor Marian Knight, Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit
The partnership will:
- Strengthen and unify women’s health research and education at Oxford
- Bring together researchers working across the entire translational pathway
- Combine applied health research and clinical trials expertise with established global maternal and child health research networks
- Enhance the design and delivery of teaching and training programmes
- Increase collective capacity to deliver research that improves healthcare and outcomes for women and children worldwide
Planning for a new location for NPEU and some NDWRH teams are underway and expected to be complete by the end of Hilary term.
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Notes for editors
For any media enquiries, please contact Rob Phillips at communications@wrh.ox.ac.uk
About Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford
The Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health (NDWRH) at the University of Oxford is a world-leading institution driving transformative research in women’s health, reproduction, and conservation science. With a legacy of excellence since its establishment in 1937, NDWRH is globally recognised for its pioneering contributions to medical research, clinical practice, and postgraduate education. Our mission is to shape a future where high-quality, evidence-based healthcare is accessible to all, leading to improved health outcomes worldwide. Through innovative research and teaching, we are committed to advancing healthcare standards and promoting global progress in reproductive health. To learn more, visit https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk.
About the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), University of Oxford
The National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) is a world-leading research unit focused on improving the health and wellbeing of women and babies through high-quality, evidence-based research. Established in 1978, NPEU is internationally recognised for its expertise in maternal and perinatal health, applied health research, clinical trials and the use of population-level data to inform policy and clinical practice. NPEU is home to several nationally and internationally significant programmes, including the NPEU Clinical Trials Unit (CTU), which delivers high-quality trials to improve care for women and babies; MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries), which leads national surveillance, audits and confidential enquiries into maternal and perinatal deaths and severe morbidity; the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care; and the Social science, Health Economic and Epidemiology Research streams (SHEER), which works to strengthen the health evidence ecosystem in reproductive, maternal and newborn health globally. To learn more, visit https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk