Laura Oakley

Dr. Laura Oakley is an Associate Professor and Co-Programme Director for the Distance Learning Epidemiology programme at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), within the Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology in the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health. She also holds an affiliated researcher position at the Centre for Fertility and Health (CeFH) at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, Norway, facilitating international collaborations on perinatal epidemiology using Scandinavian registry data.

Dr. Oakley's educational background includes:

• Undergraduate degree in Sociology from the London School of Economics
• MSc in Epidemiology from LSHTM
• PhD from LSHTM focusing on determinants of infertility in women
• Prior research experience at the Centre for Research in Primary Community Care, University of Hertfordshire
• Research position at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford (2009-2014)

As an epidemiologist specializing in maternal, reproductive, and child health, Dr. Oakley's research spans the epidemiology of infertility, pregnancy complications, perinatal outcomes, effects of in-utero exposures, and infant feeding practices. Her work emphasizes health inequalities and socioeconomic determinants of breastfeeding across diverse global settings. Methodologically, she combines interventional and observational approaches, leveraging large-scale registry data from high-income countries while conducting research in low- and middle-income contexts. Her affiliation with CeFH provides access to exceptional Scandinavian registry linkages that support her perinatal epidemiology research.

Dr. Oakley's publication record reveals a strong focus on the intersection of infectious disease (particularly COVID-19) with pregnancy outcomes, reflected in her leadership of the Nordforsk-funded SCOPE projects. She also maintains significant contributions to reproductive health through the British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), and leads epidemiological research on sickle cell disease in pregnancy. Her work on breastfeeding patterns across sub-Saharan Africa demonstrates her commitment to understanding long-term health and educational outcomes.

Dr. Oakley serves as Co-Programme Director for the Epidemiology by Distance Learning programme at LSHTM, teaching multiple modules including Fundamentals of Epidemiology, Basic Epidemiology, Foundations of Reproductive Health, and Research, Design and Analysis. She provides academic guidance as a personal tutor for MSc Reproductive and Sexual Health Research and MSc Epidemiology students, while supervising research projects. Her grant portfolio includes the Research Council of Norway-funded program on assisted conception and cancer risk, the NIHR-funded TAPS2 feasibility trial on sickle cell disease in pregnancy, and the MRC-funded GUIDES trial on gestational diabetes in Uganda and India.

Through her international collaborations with institutions across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Uganda, and India, Dr. Oakley maintains a global research perspective that bridges academic epidemiology with practical applications for improving maternal and child health worldwide. Her work on the socioeconomic determinants of breastfeeding and pregnancy outcomes in women with sickle cell disease addresses critical health disparities in maternal care.