Ovadia group

Group Members

Mathias Lorbeer, Albert McKern Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Edinburgh)

Luiza Borges Manna, PhD student (King’s College London)

Kyla Fong, PhD student (University of Edinburgh)

Lauren Welbourn, PhD student (King’s College London)

Research interests

Caroline’s academic interests are in metabolic diseases in pregnancy and their impact on adverse perinatal outcomes, in particular understanding how gestational physiological adaptations influence metabolic disorders. She particularly focuses on maternal cholestasis, diabetes and steatotic liver disease. Her work has influenced international guidelines and been widely cited, and underpinned the scientific basis of a number of clinical trials of repurposed and novel pharmacological agents. Caroline aims to combine basic, translational and clinical research approaches to support a truly “bench to bedside” academic portfolio.

• LIPID (Liver Investigation in Pregnancy and Infantile Disease)
• MiNi-Hair (Measuring hormones in Maternal and Neonatal hair)
• GUARD (Randomised controlled trial of Gestational treatment with Ursodeoxycholic Acid compared to Metformin to Reduce effects of Diabetes mellitus)
• PRECIOUS (Pregnancy-Related Evaluation of Cholestasis in the United Kingdom and Ireland: National Investigation and Surveillance. UKARCOG-adopted study)

Key projects

Edinburgh Pregnancy Research Team

White and Ovadia: Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders in Pregnancy, King's College London

Maternal and Fetal Disease Group; Imperial College London

Selected recent publications

Yang X, Nathan HL, Oyekan EE, Korevaar TIM, Ahmed D, Pacifico K, Hameed A, Chandiramani M, Banerjee A, Ovadia C. Developing a Risk Stratification Tool to Predict Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus at Risk of Insulin Treatment: A Cohort Study. J Pers Med 2025; 15: 223

Chivers S, Ovadia C, Vasavan T, et al. Fetal heart rate analysis in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus: A prospective multicentre observational study. BJOG 2025; 132: 473-482 

Ovadia C, Sajous J, Seed PT et al. Ursodeoxycholic acid in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: an individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2021; 6: 547-558.

Ovadia C, Perdones-Montero A, Spagou K, Smith A, Sarafian MH, Gomez-Romero M, et al. Enhanced microbial bile acid deconjugation and impaired ileal uptake in pregnancy repress intestinal regulation of bile acid synthesis. Hepatology 2019; 70:276-293.

Ovadia C, Seed PT, Sklavounos A, Geenes V, Di Illio C, Chambers J et al. Association of adverse perinatal outcomes of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy with biochemical markers: results of aggregate and individual patient data meta-analyses. Lancet 2019; 393: 899-909.

Media and engagement

In conversation with… Caroline Ovadia - The Lancet (audio)

How can gestational diabetes mean being too good at being pregnant? - The Umbi podcast (Spotify)

Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) - Maternity and Midwifery Forum (YouTube)

Expert reaction to MHRA advice on the use of contraceptives for women taking weight loss drugs in their latest guidance around safe use of the drugs - Science Media Centre (article)

Collaborators

Professor Catherine Williamson, Imperial College London

Professor Bill Hague, University of Adelaide

Dr Sara White, King’s College London

Professor Kypros Nicolaides, King’s College London

Dr Lisa Story, King’s College London

Funders

ICP Support

Fetal Medicine Foundation

MacDonald Obstetric Medicine Society

King’s College London

Evelina Children’s Charity

Diabetes UK

JP Moulton Charitable Foundation

Tommy’s

Society for Endocrinology