Biography

Professor Kitty W.M. Bloemenkamp is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist and Chair Birth Centre, Wilhelmina’s Children Hospital, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Her Residency training programme in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine was followed in Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden (1997-2002).  Her PhD Thesis: "Oral contraceptives, venous thrombosis and the role of coagulation defects" was at the department of  Clinical Epidemiology. Thereafter she became a Fellow Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine at University College Hospitals, London, United Kingdom (2003). She was appointed as a maternal fetal medicine specialist at the department of Obstetrics of Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) (2004-2015).

Her main research interest is “Maternal Health” globally, the health of a woman throughout her (reproductive) lifecycle is investigated.  From preconception, complicated (early) pregnancy, towards delivery, postpartum and consequences of these complications later in life. Especially maternal mortality and morbidity. She has been involved in designing, conducting, analysing and writing articles in several national and international research projects in the field of Obstetrics. Resulting in more than 250 publications in important medical journals. She is at present and has been Principal Investigator of several RCTs, case control, cohortstudies and experimental studies in the field of Maternal Health.

Member Board Dutch Consortium for Healthcare Evaluation and Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology - NVOG Consortium 2.0 (2003-2014), in which several large randomised controlled trials (grants from ZON MW) are completed (Hypitat, Digitat, STAN, Amphia, Ppromexil, Womb, Truffle, Apostel II, Probaat, Hypitat II, Hyras, Allopurinol, Totem, Hypitat II, Apostel I,II,III Protwin). And running Apostel VI, Glucomoms, Index etc. See http: http://www.studies -obsgyn.nl/home/page.asp?page_id=354.

She is the Chairman of Nethoss (Netherlands Obstetric Survey Study, nationwide ongoing registration study), Audit Committee of Maternal Mortality, Netherlands and of INOSS (International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems).

Research funding obtained in the past five years

External research funding obtained in international or national competition as principal applicant

- 7 Global health UMC Utrecht Global Health Support Program (35000 Euro each)

- Merel Stichting. 50000 Euro for integration of Nethoss with Perined.

- Induction of labour in hospital with a Foley catheter or oral misoprostol versus induction of labour at home with a Foley catheter or oral misoprostol (PROBAAT-III): a multicentre randomised controlled non-inferiority trial with cost-effectiveness analysis. ZonMW 80-85200-98-91053. 500.800 Euro

-Matisse Study A phase 3, Randomized, Double Blinded, Placebo Controlled trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prefusion F Subunit Vaccine in Infants Born to Women  Vaccinated during Pregnancy. Sponsored by Pfizer. Budget 500000-800000 Euro. 40000 Euro start up fee and around 5000 Euro per enrolled patient. Aim to include at least 100 pregnant women in 2 years.

- KA 107 Grants

KA Erasmus mobility staff research and teaching 2018-2020 Ghana and Suriname. Individual 2018-2020 each year 2500 Euro’s per country. Whole team 10000-20000 Euro’s per country per year

External research funding obtained in international or national competition as co-applicant

-EMA(European Medicines Agency);  Consign Project (COVID-19 infectiOn aNd medicineS In preGNancy) Impact of COVID -19 in pregnancy 500000 Euro. In order to guide decision-making about vaccine indications, vaccination policies, and treatment options for COVID-19 disease in pregnancy. University of Utrecht (Prof O. Klungel) and UMCU (Prof M. Sturkenboom). Collaboration  Conception network, COVI-Preg project and INOSS.  WP 3 INOSS: 70000 Euro for IPD Meta analysis COVID 19 in pregnancy .

-Collaborator in IMI funded Conception network , building an ecosystem to assess drug safety in pregnancy and lactation.(Coordinator Prof M Sturkenboom, UMCU, Utrecht) total budget 28 milj Euro’s, more than 50 parties collaborating

- Laerdal Foundation EmONC training in Ethiopia, Mirjam Kleinhout 50.000 Euro 2018

Supervision of MSc students and PhD candidates UMCU

- MSc students in the Netherlands, Malawi, South Africa, Australia, Suriname, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe      

 - 13 ongoing (6 PhD students based in the Netherlands, 7 PhD fellows in Ghana, Kenya, the Gambia, Indonesia, Suriname) 

- 3 completed PhD projects in UMCU

 - 11 completed PhD projects in LUMC

Thesis reviewer national (UMCU, other universities) and international (Belgium, UK, Finland)

Editorial and review services

Evaluator of research applications in (inter)national 

-Nederlandse Hartstichting,

-Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen (FWO).

-NWO

Editor/deputy editor/associate editor of scientific journals

Advisor the Health Sciences Investigations Journal, College of Health sciences, University of Ghana

Referee for scientific journals

Lancet, BMJ, Human reproduction, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Plos One, Acta Scandinavica Obst & Gyn, Contraception, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nederlands Tijdschrift van Geneeskunde, Cochrane HIV review group, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Journal of Thrombosis, British Journal of Hematology, Drug Safety, CNS Drugs, Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.

Reviewer or advisor for other scientific bodies

- Present Member/advisor studygroup WHO global maternal sepsis study (GLOSS). https://srhr.org/sepsis/. 2018-2021 Dr M. Bonet (WHO)

- Present Member /advisor studygroup WHO Maternal Mortality Survey. Dr M. Bonet (WHO)

- Present Member/advisor studygroup WHO Intra Uterine Balloon tamponade for Post Partum Hemorrhage. Dr F. Althabe (WHO) M.Widmer (WHO)

Other relevant evaluation assignments

International visiting research scholarships

KA Erasmus mobility staff research and teaching 2018-2020 Ghana and Suriname.

Other scientific merits

Membership of academic societies

1993-present Member Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology NVOG

2008-present  Member Dutch Society of Perinatal Medicine (Koepel Foetomaternale Geneeskunde). Dutch Society of Gynaecology & Obstetrics (NVOG).

2008-present  Chair/Member of Working party on Contraception. Dutch Society of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (NVOG)

2015-present Chair of Audit Committee of Maternal Mortality (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths) of the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,(NVOG) (Chair since dec 2016).

2012-present  Initiator and Chair Nethoss (Netherlands Obstetric Surveillance Systems. nationwide ongoing registration system of maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity and rare diseases in pregnancy), Netherlands.

2012-present  Chair INOSS (International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems), an international network of obstetric surveillance systems. Chair since januari 2015.

2012-2016      Secretary/Member of the scientific committee of the Dutch Society of Gynaecology & Obstetrics (NVOG).

2004-present  Member International Society of Obstetric Medicine. ISOM.

Consultant/expert appointments on invitation

- Present         Member advisory committee SPOT impact study. Improving care for women with pre-eclampsia in Ghana

- Present.        Expert Obstetrics / perinatal epidemiology WHO taskforces and working groups on maternal health (maternal mortality, maternal sepsis, Postpartum Hemorrhage)

- 2020       Expert Obstetrics in Evaluation of Dutch system of collaboration of healthcaregivers (obstetricians, midwives, maternity caregivers etc) in obstetric care.  Evaluatie (ontstaan van) samenwerking in verloskundige samenwerkingsverbanden. Kwalitatief onderzoek naar de huidige stand van zaken en ontwikkelingen op terrein van samenwerkien en netwerkvorming. Berenschot consultancy group. Commissioning party ZIN (Zorginstituut Nederland/ National Health Care institute Netherlands)

- Present         Expert Obstetrics in disciplinary law, criminal law, personal injury law cases (expert witness).

- Present         Expert obstetrics Pharmaceutical companies ie CLS Behring EU advisory Board on the Challenges in the current management of postpartum hemorrhage, Ferring, prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, MSD (maternal CMV vaccination). Reimbursment of hotel and travel

- 2017             Expert Obstetrics. Member expertcommittee National Obstetric Care the Netherlands, National Health Care institute Netherland, Quality indicators development and implementation. (Kwaliteitsraad zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN)) . Doorzettingsmacht ; de kwaliteirsstandaard geboortezorg (ontwikkelen en implementatie van kwaliteits indicatoren integrale geboortezorg)

Other

Member NVOG Hector Treub Society. Biannual awars for person who greatly contributes to psychosocial aspects of obstetrics and gynecology or any other work in the light of Prof Hector Treub’s legacy (born 1856, former Professor Obstetrics in Leiden, the Netherlands)

Research

2018-2021 Member Coreteam research strategic theme Child Health, UMCU, Utrecht, the Netherlands

2018-2019      Member Steering Committee Got It trial UK. Project title: A pragmatic group sequential placebo controlled randomised trial to determine the effectiveness of Glyceryl trinitrate for retained placenta.Tommy’s Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health Research, Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Sep 2008-2015    Member Steering Committee REPROSTAT 3, Reproductive Health Indicators in the European Union. Project financed by the European Comission, Health Monitoring Programme.