Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge

15/09/2026

New Cambridge-led research has identified a potential early warning sign for pregnancy complications, including pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.

Researchers have found that low levels of the protein ISM2 may be linked to an increased risk of developing both conditions, which are among the leading causes of illness and stillbirth during pregnancy.

The team analysed data from more than 400 women who took part in the Pregnancy Outcome Prediction Study (POPS) at the Rosie Hospital. Published in Nature Medicine, the findings could help pave the way for new tests and treatments that identify and prevent pregnancy complications much earlier.

Read more: https://orlo.uk/EsXK3

08/09/2026

Ready for our awareness talk "Own your flow: understanding & navigating uterine fibroids" at the Cambridge Wellness Festival 2026, today at 1.30pm.

04/09/2026

Congratulation to Jacqueline Guettler and Eleanor Ward (Dr Irving Aye's team) who won top awards at the IFPA meeting in Kamakura, Japan. Well done!

01/09/2026

Comment in Science on Prof Gordon Smith's work states "Low levels of a placental ISM2 protein predict preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction and could offer new target for prevention".

Low levels of a placentamade protein predict preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction and could offer new target for prevention

01/09/2026

Congratulations to Prof Gordon Smith's group for their work "Isthmin-2 is a first-trimester predictor of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction" published today in Nature Medicine.

Through exploration of serum proteomics from pregnancy cohorts, Miao et al. have shown that ISM2 is involved in extravillous trophoblast invasion and that lower levels in early pregnancy may indicate increased risk of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.

07/07/2026

July is Fibroids Awareness Month, aiming to raise awareness of this common women's health condition. Around 2 in 3 women will develop at least 1 fibroid at some point in their life. Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus), made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and vary in size. Complications caused by fibroids can affect pregnancy or cause infertility.

Uterine fibroids symptoms include:

➡heavy periods or painful periods
➡tummy (abdominal) pain
➡lower back pain
➡a frequent need to urinate
➡constipation
➡pain or discomfort during s*x

Seek medical advice if you experience these symproms!

July is Fibroids Awareness Month, aiming to raise awareness of this common women's health condition. Around 2 in 3 women will develop at least 1 fibroid at some point in their life.

Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the womb (uterus). The growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue and vary in size. The growths are made up of muscle and fibrous tissue, and vary in size. Many women are unaware they have fibroids because they do not have any symptoms.

Women who do have symptoms (around 1 in 3) may experience:

➡heavy periods or painful periods
➡tummy (abdominal) pain
➡lower back pain
➡a frequent need to urinate
➡constipation
➡pain or discomfort during s*x

In rare cases, further complications caused by fibroids can affect pregnancy or cause infertility. Learn more at the link in our bio or by searching for "NHS Fibroids"

19/06/2026

Warmest congratulations to out collaborator Prof Hilary Critchley (The University of Edinburgh) for being named 'Giant in Obstetrics and Gynecology' by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG). Her work as a physician-scientist "transformed the understanding of menstruation" and we are extremely grateful and proud to work alongside Prof Critchley.

Dr Hilary O.D. Critchley, BSc (Hons), MBChB (Hons), MD, DSc, FRCOG, FMedSci, FRSE, a clinical academic gynecologist, holds a personal chair in reproductive medicine at The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and is an honorary consultant (gynecology) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. She has...

11/06/2026

Cambridge University Pride Month initiatives 🌈

02/06/2026

Many congratulations to Professor Ashley Moffett, who has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), one of the highest honours in science. Ashley is Emeritus Professor of Reproductive Immunology in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge.

https://royalsociety.org/people/ashley-moffett-10086/

13/05/2026

We talked all UTERINE FIBROIDS yesterday at Homerton College: patient awareness and empowerment, pathways to improve clinical practice, and the legislative changes needed for better patient care.