Kari Swettenham

I graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2011 with First Degree (Hons) in Midwifery Studies and pursued an interest in clinical research by completing a part time PG Dip in Clinical Research Methods in 2015. I have worked clinically in a variety of settings including the Birth Centre, mixed Antenatal and Postnatal wards and extensively within the Induction Suite environment. Whilst working clinically I pursued my interest and career in clinical research and worked as a Research Midwife, progressing to Senior Research Midwife and Associate Research Champion for Yorkshire & Humber NIHR Clinical Research Network. I worked on several studies within the clinical environment, including pre-term birth, multiple pregnancy, pregnancy induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia, and smoking cessation. As an Associate Research Champion, our group also organised and presented symposia and created a webinar to provide newly qualified midwives with education around clinical research delivery. 

Most recently, I was the Lead Research Midwife for a large national multi-centre step wedged RCT, the STARshiP study. The study aims to compare the currently used NICE guidelines for screening for pre-eclampsia against the Fetal Medicine Foundation pre-eclampsia screening tool, to assess if the implementation of the latter reduces the occurrence of pre-term birth. 

In addition to an interest in clinical research generally, I am particularly interested in pregnancy loss and bereavement care and previously lead my Trusts’ Maternity Bereavement Team.