Dr Caroline Ovadia (BMBCh, MA (Oxon), PhD, MRCOG)

Clinical Senior Lecturer, Honorary Consultant Obstetrician

Biography

Background

Caroline is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Reproductive Health, and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh. 

Caroline’s academic interests are in metabolic diseases in pregnancy and their impact on adverse perinatal outcomes, in particular understanding how gestational physiological adaptations influence metabolic disorders. She particularly focuses on maternal cholestasis, diabetes and steatotic liver disease. Her work has influenced international guidelines and been widely cited, and underpinned the scientific basis of a number of clinical trials of repurposed and novel pharmacological agents. Caroline aims to combine basic, translational and clinical research approaches to support a truly “bench to bedside” academic portfolio.

In recognition of her work, Caroline received the Tommy’s Star Researcher award in 2019, and both Harold Malkin and William Blair Bell awards by RCOG. She is a medical advisor to the ICP Support charity, Maternal Medicine Representative for the British Maternal Fetal Medicine Society, and member of the RCP Joint Committee on Obstetric Medicine. 

Qualifications

BMBCh, MA (Oxon), PhD, MRCOG

Responsibilities & affiliations

Maternal Medicine Representative, British Maternal Fetal Medicine Society

Ex officio representative, Macdonald Obstetric Medicine Society

Member, Joint Committee for Obstetric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians

Member, Steering group on Monogenic diabetes variants in pregnancy, NHS England

Current PhD students supervised

University of Edinburgh: Kyla Fong

King's College London: Luiza Borges Manna, Lauren Welbourn

Research summary

Metabolic disorder in pregnancy - intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, diabetes in pregnancy, steatotic liver disease; maternal and fetal impacts, and programming of childhood health.

Project activity

Current project CI/PI: 

LIPID                   Liver Investigation in Pregnancy and Infantile Disease

MiNi-Hair         Measuring hormones in Maternal and Neonatal hair

GUARD    Randomised controlled trial of Gestational treatment with Ursodeoxycholic Acid compared to Metformin to Reduce effects of Diabetes mellitus

PRECIOUS         Pregnancy-Related Evaluation of Cholestasis in the United Kingdom and Ireland: National Investigation and Surveillance. UKARCOG-adopted study

Current project grants

MacDonald Obstetric Medicine Society Bursary. Pregnancy-related evaluation of Cholestasis in the United Kingdom: national investigation and Surveillance – The PRECIOUS study. Co-applicants: N Capatina, C Tew, C Ovadia.
Concept 2 Cradle KCL PPIE Award. Improving outcomes for patients with Type 2 diabetes in pregnancy? Co-Applicants: C Ovadia, S White, A Brackenridge, V Moltedo.
Evelina Children’s Charity (2024-7). LIPID study: Liver Investigation in Pregnancy and Infantile Disease. Applicant: C Ovadia.
Diabetes UK Doctoral Research Fellowship (2024-7). Relationships between gestational diabetes subtypes and fetal growth and adiposity. Applicants: S White, C Ovadia.
JP Moulton Charitable Foundation (2019). Ursodeoxycholic acid as a novel treatment for gestational diabetes mellitus. Applicants: C Williamson, H Murphy, C Ovadia, A Briley.

Past project grants

Recent CI/PI:
ICE-BAT Impact of Cold Exposure on metabolic regulation in children with non- alcoholic fatty liver disease
MRI-TIME Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Thermal Imaging of adiposity in neonates of women with MEtabolic diseases
NUTRIENT Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy : Implications on nutritional status and maternal-fetal outcomes
BEATS Bile Acid Effects on Fetal Arrhythmia after UDCA Therapy Study
TURRIFIC A multi-centre, open label, randomised, parallel-group, superiority Trial to compare the efficacy of URsodeoxycholic acid with RIFampicin in the management of women with severe early onset Intrahepatic Cholestasis of pregnancy

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