Maternal Health and Wellbeing

The Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Group welcomes PhD proposals in line with our specific research themes.  We are particularly keen to see proposals related to the following topics:

Organisation of maternity care, including content and workforce:

  • Care during labour and birth
  • Preparing for labour and birth
  • Communications in maternity care
  • Digital and remote care
  • Safety culture in maternity services

Perinatal mental health and wellbeing:

  • Interventions to prevent and alleviate anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum
  • The identification of women at risk of perinatal mental health problems
  • Experiences of mental health in pregnancy
  • Traumatic childbirth- prevention and care

Pregnancy, birth and motherhood in a contemporary and diverse society:

  • Modern slavery, human trafficking and maternal health and care
  • Women, childbearing and HIV (prevention, testing or care)
  • Female genital mutilation and healthcare
  • Women’s choices in pregnancy and childbirth
  • Migration, migrant women’s health and maternity care
  • Understanding and addressing disrespect/abuse in maternity care
  • Experiences, interventions and strategies related to respectful care, equity and cultural safety

Global maternal health and care:

  • Factors that influence uptake and utilisation of antenatal care in low-income settings
  • Factors that influence uptake and utilisation of skilled birth attendance in low-income settings
  • Developing and evaluating interventions for improving quality of maternity care in low-income settings 

How to apply

Review our detailed application guide

Find out more about Doctoral Research Supervisors in the School of Health Sciences

Other contacts:

Professor Helen Spiby

Professor Catrin Evans

Assistant Professor Dominic O'Connor 

Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Group

The University of Nottingham
School of Health Sciences
Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2HA


email: helen.spiby@nottingham.ac.uk