Rate My Professor Judith Rankin

Professor Judith Rankin holds the position of Professor of Maternal and Child Health in the Population Health Sciences Institute within the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. She earned her BSc (Hons) in Physiology in 1988 and PhD in Behavioural Teratology in 1993, both from the University of Edinburgh. Her academic career at Newcastle University began in 1993 as a Research Associate, advancing to Senior Research Associate from 1996 to 2003, Principal Research Associate from 2004 to 2007, Personal Readership in Maternal and Perinatal Epidemiology from 2007 to 2010, and her current Personal Chair. Additionally, she serves as Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Chair of the Newcastle University Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Co-lead for Research and Capacity Development in the NIHR Challenge - Maternity Disparities Consortium, Lead for the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria Supporting Children and Families theme, and Chair of the NIHR Doctoral Fellowships Panel. She supervises six PhD students and contributes to postgraduate teaching in MSc Public Health and Health Services Research as module lead for project management, dissertation supervisor, examiner, and personal tutor.

Professor Rankin's research focuses on the epidemiology of congenital anomalies, survival and long-term outcomes for children born with congenital anomalies, the influence of lifestyle on congenital anomaly risk, reproductive loss, health of vulnerable maternal populations, risk factors in pregnancy, and outcomes for children with complex needs including rare diseases. She collaborates with NHS England's National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service, European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies, and organizations such as Sands, Multiple Birth Foundation, Tiny Lives, and Twins Trust, serving as Principal Investigator on multiple externally funded projects. Her accolades include an OBE in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours for services to maternal and child health and inclusion, Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health by distinction in 2012, NIHR National Public Health Career Scientist from 2005 to 2011, NIHR Senior Investigator, and European Science Foundation Visiting Fellowship. Key publications encompass 'The Healthcare Needs of Children With Down Syndrome in the First Year of Life: An Analysis of the EUROlinkCAT Data Linkage Study' (Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 2025), 'Support Needs of Parents of Children With Congenital Anomalies Across Europe: A EUROlinkCAT Survey' (Child: Care, Health and Development, 2025), and 'How can more women with pre-existing type 1 and type 2 diabetes be supported to prepare for pregnancy after a baby loss?' (BMJ Open, 2025), among over 100 contributions to maternal and child health epidemiology.