DrAngela Flynn

My research seeks to fill important gaps in knowledge regarding women’s health, particularly around the critical window preceding and during pregnancy, which has enormous implications for the health of mother, child and generations to come. My research primarily aims to address the following questions;

How can we optimise pregnancy preparation?
Using large national and international datasets, I examine health behaviours and risk factors of women planning pregnancies. This data informs the development of innovative strategies and new pathways to optimise pregnancy preparation and improve health and wellbeing of all women before pregnancy.

How can we improve pregnancy outcomes for women at high metabolic risk?
Gestational diabetes and maternal obesity have far reaching consequences for both mother and child. My research aims to identify high risk women who are more likely to develop complications such as gestational diabetes, to allow targeted behavioural/pharmacological interventions to improve maternal and infant outcomes.

How can we improve postpartum and interconception care for women who have experienced pregnancy complications?
Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) affects up to 3% of the pregnancy population, with a very high recurrence rate. My research aims to develop better ways to support women and their partners following a pregnancy complicated by HG and help them better prepare for subsequent pregnancies. For women with a history of gestational diabetes, the risk of Type 2 Diabetes is far higher. My research aims to develop and evaluate pragmatic post-pregnancy programmes to reduce the lifetime risk of Type 2 Diabetes in women who previously experienced gestational diabetes.

How can we use existing community settings to improve women’s health?
Community pharmacies are high accessible healthcare professionals who are ideally placed to deliver public health interventions. My research aims to develop public health interventions that can be feasibly delivered by community pharmacies to address women’s health throughout the lifecourse.