The Mother & Infant Research Electronic Data Analysis (MIREDA) Workshop took place on Friday 11th July in Cardiff, as a hybrid event. Hosted by the European DoHaD Society, the event brought together researchers, data scientists, clinicians, and institutional representatives to explore how linked data can be used to address critical questions in preconception, maternal, and infant health.
Designed to foster collaboration, the workshop encouraged active networking and idea sharing, helping participants identify common research interests and potential areas for partnership.
Led by the team at the Centre for Population Health and supported by HDR UK Wales, the MIREDA partnership aims to harmonise and leverage data across multiple UK and international cohort. To date, it has established a wide network of collaborations focused on maternal and infant health and made significant progress in standardising data from diverse cohorts using the OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) Common Data Model.
During the workshop, the team discussed potential uses of OMOP-transformed data in maternal and infant health research, focussing on how this harmonised data can be used to address priority research questions across three key domains: Preconception Health, Maternal Health, and Infant Health.
Through a series of facilitated focus groups, participants explored the strengths and limitations of existing data and identified key research priorities across the three themes:
Preconception Health
1. Understand the impact of fathers’ health on conception, maternal and infant health
2. Explore the effects of later parenthood and preconception readiness
3. Explore health outcomes between planned and unplanned pregnancies
Maternal Health
1. Understand socio-economic inequalities
2. Improve data collection methods for better analysis
3. Advance causal inference techniques
Infant Health
1. Enable earlier special educational needs (SEN) identification
2. Infant mortality – neonatal and postnatal
3. Breastfeeding and nutrition
The workshop concluded with guidance on accessing seedcorn funding for preconception, maternal or infant research using MIREDA. If you are interested in working with the MIREDA dataset, you can apply for seedcorn funding here MIREDA SEEDCORN FUNDING.
Dr Hope Jones, Researcher at the Centre for Population Health, commented:
“The workshop highlighted not only the potential of linked data in transforming maternal and infant health research, but also the value of diverse perspectives in shaping the questions we need to ask next.”
Professor Sinead Brophy, Director at Centre for Population Health and Co-Director at HDR UK Wales, said:
“Following the workshop, we will be setting up research development groups to take forward the top priorities across key themes. We welcome collaboration from across the research community to build on existing knowledge and help shape future work in maternal and infant health.”
For more information on the MIREDA partnership, visit the Centre for Population Health website.