Alexander Heazell

Overview

I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics, spending 50% of my time in clinical practice and 50% research and teaching within the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in the School of Medical Sciences. I am the Clinical Director of the Tommy''s Stillbirth Research Centre and lead the stillbirth research theme at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, which includes projects to undersand the reasons for stillbirth, and prevention of perinatal mortality and improving care for parents whose babies die before or shortly after birth. I supervise students on undergraduate projects through to PhD programmes.

I run a specialist clinical service, the Rainbow Clinic, for parents who have experienced a stillbirth in a previous pregnancy. This is supported jointly by Tommy''s the baby charity and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

I am the Chair of the International Stillbirth Association, and work with the Scientific Advisory Committee within ISA to improve information for parents and direct effective research. I have been involved in the Confidential Enquiry into Perinatal Deaths in Cumbria (2009-2010) and have worked closely with Sands and the Human Tissue Authority to develop a natinal consent form package for post-mortem after perinatal death, both of which translated our research findings into clinical practice. 

Biography

Dr Alexander Heazell is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Clinical Director of the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre, University of Manchester, UK. Since completing his PhD in 2008 on the role of placental dysfunction in preeclampsia, his research has focused on stillbirth; his research portfolio includes a profile of basic science, clinical and qualitative research studies to give a better understanding leading to prevention of stillbirth and improving care for parents after stillbirth. He has received over £1.8M of grant income and has published over 120 research papers and received national and international awards for his work on stillbirth and placental dysfunction, and for improving care. He led the recent Stillbirth Priority Setting Partnership and was one of the team for the 2016 Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirth Series. He is currently the Chair of the International Stillbirth Alliance.