The Centre for Bioengineering is delighted to congratulate Dr Mia Crowther on the successful defence of her PhD, marking the culmination of an outstanding programme of multidisciplinary research aimed at improving our understanding of preterm birth.

Supervised by Tina Chowdhury and Professor Anna David, Mia's doctoral research investigated how the mechanical and biological properties of the fetal membranes change during complicated pregnancies. Our work combined biomechanics, computational modelling, advanced imaging tools and cell biology to uncover why fetal membranes weaken and rupture too early leading to preterm birth.

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of death and disability in children under five years of age. Throughout her PhD, Mia developed innovative multiscale computational models of the fetal membrane and integrated tissue mechanics with quantitative cell analysis. This multidisciplinary approach enabled Mia to demonstrate how maternal age, gestation, obesity, fetal sex and pregnancy complications such as Gestational Diabetes or pre-eclampsia influence the biomechanics of the fetal membranes and their ability to repair following injury.

A major contribution of Mia's research was identifying the important roles of collagen organisation, specialised repair cells known as myofibroblasts and the gap junction protein Cx43 in regulating fetal membrane healing and mechanical integrity. The findings provide new insights into the biological mechanisms that contribute to preterm membrane rupture and lay the foundations for future therapeutic strategies to prevent preterm birth.

During her PhD, Mia established an impressive international research profile. She presented her work at leading conferences, including the International Society for Prenatal Diagnosis (ISPD), the UK Preterm Birth Conference and BioMedEng. In 2023, she received the ISPD Lightning Communications Plenary Award for the best oral presentation. Her first-author manuscript, "Multiscale models reveal region-specific mechanical responses of the term amniotic membrane with maternal obesity and ageing," is currently under review for the Journal of Physiology Special Issue on Preterm Birth: Physiology, Pathophysiology and Metabolic Diseases.

Mia has also contributed to international collaborative research through publication with the Fetal Membrane Society in Placenta.

Dr Tina Chowdhury, Mia's PhD supervisor, said: "Mia has demonstrated exceptional dedication, creativity and resilience throughout her PhD. By combining engineering and reproductive biology, she has made important contributions to our understanding of fetal membrane biomechanics and preterm birth. Her achievements, from international awards and conference presentations to a first-author manuscript , reflect the outstanding quality of her research. Mia is a fantastic STEMM ambassador for the Centre for Bioengineering through her enthusiasm for public engagement, inspiring future scientists and communicating the real-world impact of our research".

Reflecting on her PhD journey, Dr Mia Crowther said: "My PhD has been an incredible opportunity to combine engineering with reproductive biology to answer clinically important questions about preterm birth. I am extremely grateful to my supervisors, collaborators, clinical partners and, most importantly, the pregnant women who who generously donated human tissue samples to support our research."

Research Beyond the Laboratory

Alongside her doctoral research, Dr Mia Crowther supported three major externally funded public engagement initiatives Engineer Your Story, Hidden Pollution and Engineer Your Story with AI , helping to communicate research on maternal and fetal health to wider audiences. She contributed to outreach activities that brought together scientists, clinicians, artists and schools to raise awareness of environmental factors affecting pregnancy and women's health.

As part of the Centre's award-winning Hidden Pollution initiative, Mia worked with school students, creative professionals and healthcare researchers to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible visual campaigns highlighting the impact of environmental pollution on vulnerable populations. Through these activities, she has helped inspire the next generation of scientists while demonstrating the importance of engineering research in addressing global health challenges. These initiatives reflect the Centre's commitment to ensuring that research informs public understanding, education and future policy.

This work was supported by Engineering Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/T518086/1), Wellcome (227199/Z/23/Z) and National Institute for Health Research Barts Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR203330).

Centre for Bioengineering congratulates Dr Mia Crowther on this outstanding achievement. On a personal note, Tina Chowdhury wishes Mia every success in her multidisciplinary scientific writing and research career and looks forward to her future achievements.