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Research groups

Katja Shipp

Research Midwife

  • OSPREA team

I joined the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive Health to work as a research midwife for the Oxford Safer Pregnancy Alliance (OSPREA) in July 2022.  Before changing my role, I worked for 12 years as a qualified midwife mainly in the Women's Centre, John-Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

I am currently involved in recruiting participants to various portfolio studies, eg. COPE (The Carboprost or Oxytocin Postpartum haemorrhage Effectiveness Study), SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), PANDA-Dose (pilot clinical trial to test the acceptability and feasibility of different doses of oral iron supplementation to prevent maternal anaemia), CAPE (Calcium supplementation for prevention of pre-eclampsia in high risk women).

I have also recently taken a lead on a vaccination study (HARMONIE), a phase IIIb randomized open-label study of nirsevimab in preventing hospitalisations due to RSV in infants. Over 50 participants were recruited within 2.5 months. This achievement was awarded by the Department with the Recognition Award.

As well as being a qualified nurse (qualified in 2001 in Germany) and working and living in Cambodia (2009-2011), I've also worked as a clinical midwife (qualified in 2013 at Oxford Brookes University) in Germany and England. I have been working as 'Birth Choices Clinic' midwife and have been a mentor to many student midwives.

My new role as the Lead research midwife is with the Oxford Placental UltraSound Study (OxPLUS). This research will help to develop a new screening tool for babies at risk of not growing well. 

Since 2019,  I run a weekly Aquanatal class (Aquanataloxford.com). I also facilitate monthly and free to attend local Pregnancy meetings, called 'Birth Space Oxford'.