The award supports the dissemination of research into COVID-19 risk to fetal development
Dr Katherine Long, Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology and the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, has received a Medical Research Foundation Changing Policy and Practice Award to communicate her research findings to patients, healthcare practitioners and policymakers.
Dr Long’s recent study identified that SARS-CoV-2 can infect the fetal brain during the first and second trimester of pregnancy and that the presence of the virus is associated with small bleeds in the cortex of the fetal brain. These bleeds were linked to a loss of integrity of the blood vessels within the brain and an increase in the number of immune cells in the tissue.
I am very grateful to have received The Medical Research Foundation Changing Policy and Practice Award, which enables us to share our research findings openly and accurately. This work will ensure that those reviewing and making decisions about COVID-19, vaccinations and pregnancy care are fully informed on the potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 on fetal brain development.”
Dr Katherine Long, Research Fellow and Group Leader at the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology and the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
The work will include an assessment of the current perception of COVID-19 risk to fetal development and the creation of a targeted media strategy with expert panels and patient groups. This will result in a policy pack for key audiences, including pregnant individuals, the services advising them and the decision-makers in COVID-19 vaccination and care.
The Medical Research Foundation is an independent charitable foundation that aims to grow and nurture research with great potential. Support for the Changing Policy and Practice Award comes from the Fleming Memorial Fund for Medical Research, which was established in 1959 in memory of Sir Alexander Fleming.