Alison McFadden

Alison McFadden is Professor of Mother and Infant Public Health at the University of Dundee's School of Health Sciences, where she leads the Mother, Infant and Child Health research group (MIRU). She joined Dundee in 2013 as a research fellow, was promoted to senior research fellow in 2014, and to professor in 2018. With a background as a clinical midwife and midwifery educator in England and Malawi, she brings practical experience to her academic work. She earned her PhD from the University of York in 2009 with research on breastfeeding support for women of Bangladeshi origin.

Professor McFadden's research focuses on reducing health inequities for women, babies and children worldwide, with particular emphasis on minority ethnic and marginalized communities in the UK. Her methodological expertise spans qualitative methods, evidence synthesis, and mixed methods approaches, with community engagement central to all her work. She has made significant contributions to global health policy through her co-authorship of the Lancet Series on Midwifery and her leadership of the Cochrane review on breastfeeding support.

Her recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate continued productivity and impact, with research spanning infant feeding, opioid exposure in pregnancy, community health worker models for marginalized populations, and maternity care in low-and middle-income countries. These works reflect her commitment to addressing health disparities through rigorous research with practical applications.

• h-index of 25 with 3058 citations
• Co-author of the groundbreaking Lancet Series on Midwifery
• Senior author of the flagship Cochrane review on breastfeeding support
• Chair of UNICEF-UK Baby-Friendly Initiative Qualifications Board
• Scientific advisor to the Infant Feeding Survey in England

Professor McFadden actively mentors less experienced researchers and hosts visiting scholars through the MIRU research group. She has established the University of Dundee-India maternal and newborn care research consortium and collaborates with Norway on midwifery research in Ghana and Palestine. Her work with Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in England and Scotland directly shaped the Scottish Government's Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan, demonstrating the real-world impact of her research.

Her laboratory, the Mother, Infant and Child Health research group (MIRU), focuses on community-engaged research to address health inequities. Current projects include 'Improving Outcomes For Children Exposed To Opioids In Pregnancy Across The World' (funded by MRC) and research on homeless women's pregnancy experiences. The group emphasizes culturally appropriate care and capacity building in maternal and infant health research globally.