Lay summary
I am a clinical epidemiologist with a Masters in public health from Yale University (1998) and 16 FTE years experience in perinatal epidemiology at Auckland DHB and nationally, including clinical research, adverse event review, and audit. I am applying for a fellowship to support an increased contribution to clinical research and the future of perinatal epidemiology in Auckland and New Zealand. My proposal includes (1) development of a perinatal databank of 30 years of local maternity and neonatal data, including the required metadata and governance; and three research projects in the area of maternal and neonatal morbidity leveraging off the databank, including (2) an observational study and (3) a randomised trial investigating the usefulness of a medical device to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity at caesarean section when the cervix is fully dilated and (4) an observational study comparing maternal and neonatal morbidity from operative vaginal or caesarean.