Helen Murphy MBBChBAO, FRACP, MD

Dr Helen Murphy is a Professor of Medicine (Diabetes and Antenatal Care) at the University of East Anglia, and a practicing clinician (Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust since 2015, Cambridge University NHS Foundation Trust since 2006).

She runs a diabetes pregnancy research program that aims to support women with diabetes to achieve the pregnancy glucose targets required for optimal mother and baby health outcomes. She co-led the CONCEPTT Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) trial across 31 international sites. CONCEPTT demonstrated health benefits for mothers with type 1 diabetes, and their newborn infants and the potential for substantial healthcare cost savings. In addition to important scientific contributions, building research infrastructure, and supporting the next generation of clinical academics, data from CONCEPTT led to changes in clinical practice, such that CGM is now the recognized standard of care for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes.

She works with a multidisciplinary team of diabetes and obstetric clinicians, engineers, and social scientists to develop and evaluate closed-loop insulin delivery systems, suitable for use during pregnancy. Her work demonstrates that closed-loop systems have the potential to transform the future clinical management of type 1 diabetes pregnancy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and recognized as a landmark advance in the Nature Milestones in Diabetes.

Helen also serves as clinical lead for the National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) audit, which is the largest population-based study in diabetes pregnancy. Data from NPID directly informs diabetes and maternity healthcare policy.

Supported by JDRF, Diabetes UK, and the NIHR, her research is changing the management of diabetes in pregnancy. Helen serves on several research committees, and the editorial board for Diabetes Care, and Diabetologia, and is a regular contributor to national and international scientific meetings.