Manu Vatish

Professor Manu Vatish holds the position of Professor of Obstetrics and Consultant Obstetrician at the University of Oxford. He serves as Principal Investigator, Research Group Leader, Grant Holding Senior Scientist, and Clinical Consultant in Obstetrics. Additional leadership roles include NIHR CRN Clinical Director for Thames Valley & South Midlands, RCOG College Tutor for Oxford, and Academic Training Programme Director for OUCAGS. He is also an Associate Group Leader at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics.

His educational background includes preclinical medicine at Keble College, Oxford, followed by a DPhil at Brasenose College, Oxford under Dr. Richard Boyd, and clinical training at Cambridge (Queens' College). Specialist training in obstetrics & gynaecology on the Oxford training rotation was followed by clinical and senior lectureships at Warwick, with Fulbright and Churchill Fellowships in New York and Yale preceding his return to Oxford in 2013.

Professor Vatish's research focuses on translational obstetrics, particularly pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. His work centers on placental biology with specific streams in extracellular vesicles, mitochondrial therapy, circulating angiogenic biomarkers, computerized CTG systems, genetic screening of newborns, and vaccines in pregnancy. His research spans from basic molecular mechanisms to clinical applications of diagnostic tools in obstetric practice.

His recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong focus on placental biology, preeclampsia biomarkers, and pregnancy-related complications, with significant contributions to understanding molecular mechanisms and developing clinical applications.

His notable awards include:

• 2008 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award
• 2011 Churchill Fellowship
• 2019 HSJ Partnership Award
• 2019 UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence

Professor Vatish currently supervises numerous DPhil students and postdoctoral researchers including Toluwalase Awoyemi (Rhodes Scholar), William Cooke (Wellcome Trust), Shuhan Jiang (CNSF), and Gabriel Jones (Clarendon Scholar). His research is supported by multiple grants including those from Silence Therapeutics, Roche Diagnostics, MRC, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and the Helmsley Trust through GPADD.

He leads a vibrant research group focused on translational obstetrics with specific research streams on pre-eclampsia, mitochondria, extracellular vesicles, and biomarker development. The group collaborates with industrial partners like Sysmex/JVCKenwood and LUCA Science to develop diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches for pregnancy complications.