We are delighted to share that our Head of Department, Professor Gordon Smith has taken on the role of Ambassador for Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity) to help drive the charity’s ground-breaking work to save babies’ lives. His internationally recognised research is looking for better ways to predict problems in pregnancy so babies and mothers get the care they need.
Clea Harmer, Chief Executive at Sands (Stillbirth and neonatal death charity), said:
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome Professor Gordon Smith as our Ambassador; he is a long-standing partner in the work of Sands to save babies’ lives, and it is wonderful to be building on this relationship. Working together, Sands and Professor Smith will be able to combine clinical research excellence and the voice of bereaved parents, to bring about changes to clinical practice which will help reduce the number of babies dying.”
Professor Smith has supported Sands for more than a decade with expert research and clinical advice, and has helped them in successful campaigns to highlight the need to reduce baby deaths. As Sands’ Ambassador, he will have a special focus on promoting work to save babies’ lives and improve the range and impact of perinatal research.
Professor Gordon Smith said:
“I am honoured to take on this role for Sands. I have worked with them for many years and have been consistently impressed by the charity’s commitment to helping bereaved parents and trying to improve care to prevent stillbirths. I look forward to working with them to champion research which will save babies’ lives.”
Professor Smith’s collaboration with Sands includes The Pregnancy Outcome Prediction (POP) study that seeks to accurately identify which babies are at the highest risk of stillbirth or neonatal death and means that treatments can be better targeted, this also means that families whose pregnancies are healthy can be reassured they are also low risk.
Excerpts taken from the Sands press release and announcement on their website. Also watch this video where Gordon speaks about what being an Ambassador means to him, the importance of involving bereaved parents in research, and how this work is saving babies’ lives.