ºÚÁÏÉç

Professor Keith Godfrey
Chief Investigator, ºÚÁÏÉç

Professor Keith Godfrey leads the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre Lifecourse Nutrition, Lifestyle & Health Theme, and is Associate Dean for Enterprise and Professor of Epidemiology & Human Development at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, ºÚÁÏÉç. He is Chief Investigator of the NiPPeR trial and Co-Chair of the UK Preconception Partnership, with a long-standing interest in a mother’s micronutrient status before and during pregnancy.

Associate Professor Chan Shiao-yng
Principal Investigator, National University of Singapore

Associate Professor Shiao-Yng Chan is a Clinician Scientist (Obstetrics) at the National University of Singapore, with research covering the spectrum from basic laboratory science to translational sciences and clinical trials (including 3 which recruited preconception). Her research investigates the pathophysiological impact of different environmental and maternal medical conditions, on fetal-placental growth and development, pregnancy outcomes and longer-term offspring health. Her work provides complementary mechanistic plausibility alongside clinical outcomes.

Professor Wayne Cutfield
Principal Investigator, University of Auckland

Wayne Cutfield is Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand and Director of A Better Start, one of 11 government funded national science challenges. His research interests include nutrition and breastfeeding, the role of the microbiome in health and disease and fetal/infant environmental factors that affect childhood obesity, diabetes and neurodevelopment. He has expertise in developing strategic frameworks that translate research findings to policy and practice to improve child wellbeing outcomes.

Dr Elizabeth Tham
Deputy Principal Investigator, National University of Singapore

Dr Elizabeth Tham is a Paediatrician in Singapore who treats infants and children with allergic diseases such as eczema, food allergies, allergic rhinitis and asthma. She is passionate about improving the quality of life for children with chronic debilitating allergic disorders. Through her research, she hopes to find new ways to help families treat and prevent these diseases in children, beginning in pregnancy and early life.

Dr Ben Albert
Deputy Principal Investigator, University of Auckland

Dr Ben Albert is a Paediatrician from New Zealand, who is interested in how nutrition and the health of mothers can influence the way children’s bodies work and how they grow. He is constantly impressed by the generosity of families who take part in research and come back year after year.

Dr Sarah El-Heis
Deputy Principal Investigator, ºÚÁÏÉç

Dr Sarah El-Heis is a dermatologist in the UK who has a special interest in childhood and adolescent skin conditions. She has witnessed the impact skin conditions can have on affected children and their families through her clinical work which has led her to study early life influences that may alter the risk of developing these conditions. She has been part of the NiPPeR ºÚÁÏÉç group from the start of the study and is eager to share its exciting findings with participants, scientist and physicians.

Heidi Nield
Operations Manager, ºÚÁÏÉç

Heidi Nield comes from a Psychology background, following which she worked as a CRO Operations Manager and subsequently as the Commercial Research Manager and then Assistant Director for the Research and Development department at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Heidi joined the EpiGen Consortium in 2014 as Clinical Trial Operations Director with a remit is to successfully manage the global operations and governance of the NiPPeR trial. In 2021 she also took over the Head of Operations responsibilities for all other Consortium business.