Dr Ulla Sovio
Principal Research Associate in Applied Medical Statistics
In my work, I aim to follow the principle laid out by the late Professor Doug Altman, who said, “We need less research, better research, and research for the right reasons.” (BMJ 1994;308:283)
At leisure, I enjoy walks in the countryside, visiting family, skiing and sauna whenever possible.
Research interests
- Prediction models for adverse pregnancy outcomes
- Longitudinal models for fetal and postnatal growth
- Developmental origins of chronic disease
Publications
Highlighted:~
Study predicts fetal growth restriction using metabolomics
Affiliations
- Cambridge Metabolic Network
- Cambridge Reproduction SRI
- Centre for Trophoblast Research
- Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society
- Associate Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
- Member of the Finnish Science Society in the UK
- Member of the NIHR Statistics Group
- Collaborations: several groups and consortia, e.g. Professor Deborah Lawlor’s group at the University of Bristol and the Consortium of METabolomics Studies (COMETS)
- Editorial Board Member of BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Reviewer for over 30 journals
Research summary
I am currently employed with the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology as a Principal Research Associate in Applied Medical Statistics. My project is funded by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (Women’s Health theme). I apply statistical analysis methods to predict adverse pregnancy outcomes including fetal growth restriction, excessive fetal growth, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth, using data primarily from the Pregnancy Outcome Prediction Study (POPS). The first findings from the project are described in the POPS newsletter.
Currently, I am studying the potential of various types of biomarkers in improving the identification of high-risk pregnancies. This work has already
contributed to the development of a new method of screening, which is currently being evaluated in POPS2.
Before my employment at the University of Cambridge, I was a lecturer in Medical Statistics and Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Prior to that, I completed my PhD in Genetic and Life-Course Epidemiology at Imperial College London, where I also gained my second master’s degree in Modern Epidemiology and worked as a Statistician. I obtained my first master’s degree in Statistics at the University of Oulu, Finland.
Contact
Room 104, University Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Level 2, The Rosie Hospital
Phone: +44 (0)1223 763100