Professor Marian Knight, the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Co- Theme Lead for Cardiovascular Medicine, has been recognised in the New Year Honours list 2023. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to Maternal and Public Health.
Professor Knight’s research focuses on the care and prevention of severe complications of pregnancy and early life and addressing disparities in outcomes for women and babies from different population groups.
She established the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) in 2005 to conduct national studies of severe morbidities in pregnancy and leads the MBRRACE-UK national Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity. She also leads a parallel stream of work to improve the care of babies who undergo surgery in early life.
Professor Knight, who works at Oxford Population Health’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, said: “I am delighted to be awarded this honour which reflects the importance of maternal and child health and the work of a wide collaborative team.”
Her work demonstrating inequalities in maternal mortality has led to a number of actions to improve care for pregnant women from ethnic minority groups. She also led the national study of pregnant women admitted with COVID-19 in pregnancy, contributing to the pandemic response to help ensure pregnant women receive an equitable standard of care to the non-pregnant population.
Professor Knight was elected to fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2021 in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the advancement of medical science. She also received the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2021 Recognition Award to Non-Obstetricians/Gynaecologists.