Soo Downe

After completing a degree in Literature and Linguistics at the University of York, Soo trained as a midwife, and then worked for 15 years at Derby City Hospital mainly on the labour ward. Since 2001 she has been at the University of Central Lancashire, where she is now Professor of Midwifery Studies. Her research focus is on the nature and consequences of normal (physiological) birth, but she is also actively involved in wider maternity care issues. She was a member of the steering group for the Lancet Midwifery Series, and of the advisory group for the 2016 Lancet Stillbirth Series. With the Research in Childbirth and Health (ReaCH) team that she leads, she is currently contributing to the development process for three World Health Organisation guidelines: antenatal care, intrapartum care, and caesarean section. She is also currently the lead for an EU funded COST project related to global research in the maternity services, that includes 32 countries and over 100 scientists, academics, and service users. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the global MotherBaby Friendly initiative. She regularly contributes to initiatives from the RCOG and the RCM, and she was awarded an OBE for services to midwifery in 2011.