Shakila Thangaratinam

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Shakila Thangaratinam
Shakila Thangaratinam.jpg
Alma mater University of Birmingham
Scientific career
Institutions University of Liverpool
University of Birmingham
Queen Mary University of London
Thesis Health technology assessment in maternal and perinatal medicine : delphi survey of practice, systematic reviews of evidence and meta analyses  (2011)

Shakila Thangaratinam is a British physician, Professor of Women's Health at the University of Liverpool and Consultant Obstetrician at Liverpool Women's University Hospital. She is Executive Dean of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, at the University of Liverpool. She is the Vice President (International) of the Academy of Medical Sciences in the UK. She is an NIHR Senior Investigator. Her research has shaped global guidelines on COVID-19 in gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, pulse oximetry and epilepsy.

Contents

Early life and education

Thangaratinam completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham. [1] She trained there as a clinical lecturer in women's health. [2] She obtained her MRCOG from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2003, and completed her clinical training in 2011.

Research and career

Thangaratinam was appointed as a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London in 2011 and as Professor of maternal and perinatal health in 2012. She founded the Barts Research Centre for Women's Health and led the women's health theme. In 2020 she joined the College of Medicine and Dental Sciences at University of Birmingham. [3] At Birmingham, she led the women's metabolic health theme of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre and maternity theme of the NIHR Patient Safety Research Centre. Throughout the pandemic Thangaratinam investigated the relationship between COVID-19 and women's health working with teams at the World Health Organization and the US Centre for Disease Control. [4]

She shaped research into women's health at the National Health Service in her roles as Director of research and development for women's health at Barts Health NHS Trust in 2012 and Birmingham Women's Hospital in 2022. [5] In these roles she worked to better integrate academia and clinical practise and minimise health disparities faced by women. [5] She moved to University of Liverpool in 2024, where she was appointed as the Dean of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences in 2025. [6]

Thangaratinam is committed to the training of the next generation of physicians, nurses and midwives. [7] She created the Dame Hilda Lloyd Network in the West Midlands and the Katherine Twining Network in East London to mentor medical researchers and students. She is also interested in partnerships across the National Health Service, academia, industry and patients, and has championed patient and public involvement with research. [8] She was named a National Institute for Health and Care Research Senior Investigator in 2025. [9]

She was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2024 and Vice President in 2025. [8] After Donald Trump warned that taking tylenol during pregnancy was "associated with a very increased risk of autism", Thangaratinam studied the link between acetaminophen and autism. [10] She found that the majority of studies showing a link between the condition and the medication had critical flaws, including inaccurate study designs and no mechanism to eliminate bias. [10] In 2025 she was awarded the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Eardley Holland Medal. [11]

Select publications

References

  1. ↑ "Shakila Thangaratinam". The Conversation. 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  2. ↑ "Health technology assessment in maternal and perinatal medicine : delphi survey of practice, systematic reviews of evidence and meta analyses | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  3. ↑ "Professor of Maternal and Perinatal Health joins the College of Medical and Dental Sciences – University of Birmingham". www.birmingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  4. ↑ "Coronaprofile: Confused by COVID-19 research? A Birmingham scientist helps translate for patients | Science|Business". sciencebusiness.net. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  5. 1 2 Children's, Birmingham Women's and. "Harnessing the power of research to address health care disparities – Professor Shakila Thangaratinam takes the lead | News". Birmingham Women's and Children's. Retrieved 2025-12-23.
  6. ↑ "New Dean of the Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences | Stories | Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences | University of Liverpool". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  7. ↑ "Professor Shakila Thangaratinam | Our people | University of Liverpool". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  8. 1 2 Morgan, Jennifer (2025-07-08). "Professor Shakila Thangaratinam elected Vice President (International) for Academy of Medical Sciences – University of Liverpool News". News. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  9. ↑ Cornmell, Alison (2025-03-19). "University researchers receive prestigious NIHR Senior Investigator Award – University of Liverpool News". News. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
  10. 1 2 News, A. B. C. "Acetaminophen use during pregnancy not clearly linked to autism, ADHD: Review". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-12-24.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  11. ↑ Cornmell, Alison (2025-12-17). "Liverpool Professor awarded prestigious women's health medal – University of Liverpool News". News. Retrieved 2025-12-24.
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