Fiona Williams
Contact
Biography
During her career Dr Williams has focussed on two major research themes: environmental epidemiology and developmental epidemiology.
From 1983-1999 environmental epidemiology was the major research focus, and the overall theme was monitoring the environment and evaluating the impact on health of residential exposure to point sources of airborne pollution. During this period Dr Williams was involved in several environmental epidemiology studies within Scotland, which contributed new methodologies for assessing the impact of the environment on health. During this period Dr Williams became a member (by election) of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, MREHIS, and an honorary Member of the Faculty of Public Health, HonMFPH.
From 1997 she has focussed on the influences of specific conditions which impact on human postnatal brain development. Currently Dr Williams’ work is examining the impact of iodine deficiency and iodine toxicity on human brain development.
Research
Dr Williams leads the Human Brain Development group, which is focused on early brain development. The overarching research aim is to optimise neurodevelopmental outcome of infants through the development of a range of preventative approaches. The research design we have developed to support our programme of work is integrated, international, inter-disciplinary and translational, and reflects the concept that prevention of cerebral damage comes from applications of the metabolic and molecular bases of human development.
The Group’s current research is centred on one established (the Millennium) and two developing (I2S2 and I2XS) cohorts of preterm infants. The Millennium cohort is the largest cohort worldwide for which there is substantial intrapartum and postpartum information on thyroid hormone metabolism and clinical management. The neurodevelopmental status of this cohort was assessed in 2005-8. The investigation of the Millennium cohort led to the hypothesis that neonatal transient hypothyroxinaemia may be exacerbated by iodine deficiency; a hypothesis which was tested by the I2S2 trial of iodine supplementation of extreme preterm infants. This was a large, MRC/NIHR-EME funded trial which recruited 1275 neonates who were followed up at two years of age. The trial completed in June 2015 and the data are currently being analysed and written up.
PhD supervision
Adel Dairi (2000) Co-supervision with Charles Florey; PhD Title “Low back pain in nurses in Bahrain”
Lesley Jackson (2003) Co-supervision with Robert Hume; MD Title "The regulation of glucose homeostasis in infants"
Judith Simpson (2003) Co-supervision with Robert Hume; MD Title “A multi-centre study of transient hypothyroxinaemia in the premature infant”
Caroline Delahunty (2005) Co-supervision with Robert Hume; MD Title “A pilot study of transient hypothyroxinaemia in the premature infant”
Panos Papapreponis (2009). 1st supervisor; PhD Title “Residential exposure to low levels of air pollution from municipal waste incineration and potential subtle changes in health status”
Lectures and conferences
European Thyroid Association, ETA, 39th Annual Meeting, Copenhagen 2016 3-6 September
Verbal presentation: A randomized trial of iodide supplementation versus placebo in preterm infants (selected as a topic highlight).
Poster presentation: A comparison of levels of T4 and TSH from whole blood on filter paper and in serum.
European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, ESPGHAN Conference: 49th International meeting, Athens, Greece, 2016
Verbal invited presentation: Iodide supplementation and parenteral nutrition
NEONATAL UPDATE 2015 “the science of newborn care” 30 November - 4 December 2015
Verbal invited presentation : Iodine supplementation in preterm infants
Perinatal Medicine, Harrogate 9-11th June 2014
Verbal presentation: Neonatal thyroid function and the use of povidone-iodine and iodinated contrast media during labour and the postnatal period: a pilot study