Dr Brenda Narice

MBBS, BA, MSc, PhD, MRCOG, MCIL, SFHEA.

Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health

NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Obstetrics and Gynaecology Registrar, Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

B.F.Narice@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9666

JW58/4, Jessop Wing

Full contact details

Dr Brenda Narice
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
JW58/4
Jessop Wing
Tree Root Walk
Sheffield
S10 2SF

Profile

For enquiries please contact - ClinMed-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk

I am an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology working in the Division of Clinical Medicine in the School of Medicine & Population Health at the University of Sheffield.

In 2011, I graduated from the University of Buenos Aires with a degree in Medicine (cum laude), and from the Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas with a BA in Translation with a major in scientific and medical texts (1^st Honours). Soon after graduation, I joined the Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (GFMER), a WHO-collaborating centre, where I managed Women’s health training in low and middle-income countries and completed a postgraduate certificate in Reproductive Health.

I subsequently volunteered at Ho Teaching Hospital maternity unit in Ghana before relocating to the UK. In 2014, I was awarded an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship by the University of Sheffield during which I developed my research interest in cervical remodelling and spectroscopic technologies, and I obtained an MSc in Clinical Research (Distinction). In 2017, I was appointed an NIHR Clinical Research Fellow and formally joined the ECCLIPPx trials led by Professor Anumba which allowed me to further explore the role of magnetic induction spectroscopy to predict preterm birth in singleton pregnancies during my PhD and more recently in multiple pregnancies as an NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer (2021-now).

Qualifications

MRCOG Gold Medal, Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (2022)
PhD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Sheffield (2017-2020)
MSc in Clinical Research at the University of Sheffield (2014-2016)
Postgraduate certificate in Reproductive Health at Geneva Foundation for Medical Education and Research (2011-2012)
Medical degree at the University of Buenos Aires (2011)
BA in Translation and Interpretation at the Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas (2011)

Research interests

I am passionate about feto-maternal medicine, and the need to tackle health inequalities to ensure high standards of Women’s health care around the world.

My research interests involve the development of novel spectroscopic technologies to assess cervical remodelling and infection in pregnancy, and predict latency to birth in singleton and multiple pregnancies complicated by preterm labour and/ or preterm prelabour rupture of membranes.

I am particularly interested in identifying spectroscopic biomarkers of disease and testing how well suited these technologies are for in vivo use as endoscopic probes or bed-side portable devices adequate for point-of-care testing both in high and low-middle income countries.

I also have a broader interest in the production of policy-relevant evidence syntheses and reviews and the promotion of inclusive research participation in partnership with patients and their families and carers.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Featured publications

Journal articles

Campbell F, Salam S, Sutton A, Jayasooriya S, Mitchell C, Amabebe E, Balen J, Gillespie B, Parris K, Soma-Pillay P , Chauke L et al (2022) Interventions for the prevention of spontaneous preterm birth : a scoping review of systematic reviews. BMJ Open, 12(5). View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Trzeszcz M, Cohen M & Anumba DO (2021) Acute villitis and intravascular microorganisms in fetal vessels : a case report and literature review of an unusual histopathological finding. Pediatric and Developmental Pathology, 24(3), 246-251. View this article in WRRO
Krishnan M, Narice BF, Ola B & Metwally M (2021) Does hysteroscopic resection of uterine septum improve reproductive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 303(5), 1131-1142. View this article in WRRO
Li W, Narice BF, Anumba DO & Matcher SJ (2019) Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography with a conical beam scan for the investigation of birefringence and collagen alignment in the human cervix. Biomedical Optics Express, 10(8), 4190-4206. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Martínez MAG, Amabebe E, Pacheco DL, Rehman IU & Anumba DO (2019) Spectroscopic techniques as potential screening tools for preterm birth: A review and an exploratory study. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 54(4), 348-367. View this article in WRRO
Roman S, Hillary C, Narice B, Bullock AJ, Anumba DOC & MacNeil S (2018) Visualisation of the insertion of a membrane for the treatment of preterm rupture of fetal membranes using a synthetic model of a pregnant uterus. Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 33(2), 234-244.
Narice B, Green NH, MacNeil S & Anumba D (2016) Second Harmonic Generation microscopy reveals collagen fibres are more organised in the cervix of postmenopausal women. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 14. View this article in WRRO

All publications

Journal articles

Narice BF, Byrne V, Labib M, Cohen MC & Anumba DO (2024) Placental lesions in stillbirth following the Amsterdam consensus: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Placenta, 158, 23-37.
Narice BF, Rahnejat K & Anumba D (2024) EJOG. Letter to the Editor. Brief communication. Preterm birth clinics: How successful are they to reduce preterm birth?. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.
Bravo L, Simões JF, Cardoso VR, Adisa A, Aguilera ML, Arnaud A, Biccard B, Calvache J, Chernbumroong S, Elhadi M , Ghosh D et al (2024) A prognostic model for use before elective surgery to estimate the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (GSU-Pulmonary Score): a development and validation study in three international cohorts. The Lancet Digital Health, 6(7), e507-e519.
Roxanne Rahnejat K & Narice BF (2023) Assessing menstrual equity amongst BAMER women fleeing gender-based abuse in Sheffield (UK): A cross-sectional study. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 35, 100813-100813.
Narice BF, Marks K & Jha S (2023) Factors that influence pregnant women’s decision on mode of delivery after previous obstetric anal sphincter injury. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 281, 32-35.
Fotopoulou C, Khan T, Bracinik J, Glasbey J, Abu-Rustum N, Chiva L, Fagotti A, Fujiwara K, Ghebre R, Gutelkin M , Konney TO et al (2022) Outcomes of gynecologic cancer surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international, multicenter, prospective CovidSurg-Gynecologic Oncology Cancer study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 227(5), 735.e1-735.e25.
Campbell F, Salam S, Sutton A, Jayasooriya S, Mitchell C, Amabebe E, Balen J, Gillespie B, Parris K, Soma-Pillay P , Chauke L et al (2022) Interventions for the prevention of spontaneous preterm birth : a scoping review of systematic reviews. BMJ Open, 12(5). View this article in WRRO
McLean KA, Kamarajah SK, Chaudhry D, Gujjuri RR, Raubenheimer K, Trout I, Al Ameer E, Creagh-Brown B, Harrison EM, Nepogodiev D , Roslani AC et al (2021) Death following pulmonary complications of surgery before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. British Journal of Surgery, 108(12), 1448-1464.
Glasbey J, Ademuyiwa A, Adisa A, AlAmeer E, Arnaud AP, Ayasra F, Azevedo J, Minaya-Bravo A, Costas-Chavarri A, Edwards J , Elhadi M et al (2021) Effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on planned cancer surgery for 15 tumour types in 61 countries: an international, prospective, cohort study. The Lancet Oncology, 22(11), 1507-1517.
Akowuah E, Benson RA, Caruana EJ, Chetty G, Edwards J, Forlani S, Gradinariu G, Murphy GJ, Oo AY, Patel AJ , Ridley B et al (2021) Early outcomes and complications following cardiac surgery in patients testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019: An international cohort study. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 162(2), e355-e372. View this article in WRRO
COVIDSurg Collaborative T (2021) Machine learning risk prediction of mortality for patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 : the COVIDSurg mortality score. British Journal of Surgery, 108(11), 1274-1292. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Almeida JR, Farrell T & Madhuvrata P (2021) Impact of changing gloves during cesarean section on postoperative infective complications : a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 100(9), 1581-1594. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Trzeszcz M, Cohen M & Anumba DO (2021) Acute villitis and intravascular microorganisms in fetal vessels : a case report and literature review of an unusual histopathological finding. Pediatric and Developmental Pathology, 24(3), 246-251. View this article in WRRO
Krishnan M, Narice BF, Ola B & Metwally M (2021) Does hysteroscopic resection of uterine septum improve reproductive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 303(5), 1131-1142. View this article in WRRO
COVIDSurg Collaborative (2021) Preoperative nasopharyngeal swab testing and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing elective surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.. British Journal of Surgery, 108(1), 88-96. View this article in WRRO
Alshehre SM, Narice BF, Fenwick MA & Metwally M (2021) The impact of endometrioma on in vitro fertilisation/intra-cytoplasmic injection IVF/ICSI reproductive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 303(1), 3-16. View this article in WRRO
Glasbey JC, Nepogodiev D, Simoes JFF, Omar O, Li E, Venn ML, PGDME , Abou Chaar MK, Capizzi V, Chaudhry D , Desai A et al (2021) Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19–Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 39(1), 66-78.
Li W, Narice BF, Anumba DO & Matcher SJ (2019) Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography with a conical beam scan for the investigation of birefringence and collagen alignment in the human cervix. Biomedical Optics Express, 10(8), 4190-4206. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Martínez MAG, Amabebe E, Pacheco DL, Rehman IU & Anumba DO (2019) Spectroscopic techniques as potential screening tools for preterm birth: A review and an exploratory study. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 54(4), 348-367. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Delaney B & Dickson JM (2018) Endometrial sampling in low-risk patients with abnormal uterine bleeding: a systematic review and meta-synthesis. BMC Family Practice, 19. View this article in WRRO
Roman S, Hillary C, Narice B, Bullock AJ, Anumba DOC & MacNeil S (2018) Visualisation of the insertion of a membrane for the treatment of preterm rupture of fetal membranes using a synthetic model of a pregnant uterus. Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 33(2), 234-244.
Narice B, Green NH, MacNeil S & Anumba D (2016) Second Harmonic Generation microscopy reveals collagen fibres are more organised in the cervix of postmenopausal women. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 14. View this article in WRRO
Krishnan M, Narice B, Cheong YC, Lumsden MA, Daniels JP, Hickey M, Gupta JK & Metwally M () Surgery and minimally invasive treatments for uterine fibroids. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2024(6).

Chapters

Narice BF & Metwally M (2020) Evidence-based assisted reproduction in obese women, Obesity and Gynecology (pp. 127-133). Elsevier

Conference proceedings papers

Narice BF, Rahnejat K & Anumba D (2023) Preterm birth clinic: Improved neonatal outcomes with better targeted interventions. BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Vol. 130 (pp 175-175)
Narice BF, Wharton L, Amabebe E, Lally B & Anumba DO (2023) Elevated Cervicovaginal Fluid Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Predict Spontaneous Preterm Labour in Multiple Pregnancies. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, Vol. 30 (pp 108A-109A)
Li W, Narice BF, Anumba DO & Matcher SJ (2019) In vitro characterization of collagen organization in the human cervix using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). Diseases in the Breast and Reproductive System V, 2 February 2019 - 7 February 2019.
Narice BF, Anumba DO, Matcher SJ & Li W (2019) Polarization-sensitive swept-source optical coherence tomography for investigating depth, birefringence, depolarization and orientation of collagen structure of human cervix tissue. Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Domain Optical Methods in Biomedicine XXIII, 2 February 2019 - 7 February 2019.
Narice BF, Li W, Matcher S & Anumba DO (2019) Polarisation-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography as a Potential Tool for Assessing the Orientation of Collagen Fibres in the Human Cervix.. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, Vol. 26 (pp 128A-128A)
Almeida J, Narice B, Madhuvrata P & Farrell T (2019) Effects of changing gloves during caesarean section: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Vol. 126 (pp 147-147)
Rahnejat K & Narice B (2019) A qualitative assessment of menstrual poverty and management among BAMER community women fleeing domestic and sexual abuse in Sheffield UK: a cross-sectional, observational pilot study. BJOG-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Vol. 126 (pp 66-66)
Narice BF, Martinez GMA, Amabebe E, Rehman IU & Anumba DO (2018) Raman spectroscopic analysis of cervicovaginal fluid as a predictive tool for spontaneous preterm birth. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vol. 125(S2) (pp 108-109). Brighton, UK, 19 April 2018 - 19 April 2018. View this article in WRRO
Narice BF, Martnez MA, Amabebe E, Pacheco DL, Rehman IU & Anumba DO (2018) Analysing Cervicovaginal Fluid Using Raman Spectroscopy as a Predictive Tool for Preterm Birth.. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, Vol. 25 (pp 123A-123A)
Narice B, Green N, MacNeil S & Anumba D (2016) The Use of Second-Harmonic-Generation (SHG) to Assess the Impact of Menopause on the Orientation of Collagen Fibres in the Human Cervix.. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES, Vol. 23 (pp 214A-214A)

Grants

Current projects

2022-present: Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of cervicovaginal fluid for cervical remodelling characterisation and prediction of time to delivery: an optimisation pilot study University of Sheffield Clinical Academic Training Pump-priming Awards for Clinical Lecturers. Principal Investigator (£3,990.00).

2021-present: The role of cervicovaginal fluid biomarkers for prediction of chorioamnionitis in pregnant women with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes. Jessop Wing research grant at Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospitals. Principal Investigator (£2,473.00).

2019-present: Exploring novel techniques for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in multiple pregnancies. British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (BMFMS) and Twins And Multiple Births Association (TAMBA). Principal Investigator (£19,614.10).

Previous projects

2018-2019: Intercellular matrix protein expression in non-gravid human cervix: characterisation using non-invasive optical coherence tomography. Jessop Wing research grant at Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospitals. Principal Investigator (£4,999.50). This proof-of-concept project led to the successful £840,000.00 award by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to further develop this technology.

2018: A story across gestations: new technology to improve the prediction of preterm birth. Festival of the Mind outreach grant by the University of Sheffield. Main applicant (£5,000.00).

2016-2018: Evaluation of the mechanical and physical properties of a synthetic amniopatch. Jessop Wing research grant at Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospitals. Co-applicant (£5,000.00).

Teaching interests

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2022).
Deputy lead for the Fetus module (MED6113) at the MSc in Reproductive and Developmental Medicine at the University of Sheffield (2021-current).
Supervisor for Integrated learning activities (ILA) and Student-selected components (SSC) for Phase 3A/3B medical students at the University of Sheffield (2017-current).
Obstetric lead for the Jessop Wing postgraduate Journal Club at Sheffield NHS Teaching Hospital (2020-current).

In the last few years, I have had the pleasure to supervise two MSc candidates (Distinction in their research projects/Infertility Research Trust prize/Oral presentations at international meetings) and a medical student during her student selected component (RCOG and NEOGS awards, oral presentations at international meetings, peer-reviewed publications and a LUSH grant to register a charity to address barriers identified in her research).

Professional activities and memberships

RCOG academic trainee representative at the Academic Board.
Society of Reproductive Investigation (SRI) In-training committee representative.
ISUOG Patient Information Spanish Lead.
Jessop Wing Preterm Birth Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group coordinator.
Co-founder of the NIHR PRIME Global Health Research Group PPI group in partnering countries (South Africa, Nigeria, India and Bangladesh).
Chartered Institute of Linguists active member (MCIL), and proof-reader of translated patient information material for RCOG.

Awards and prizes

Medical recognition

Gold Medal for highest score at RCOG Membership exam (2022)
Jessop Wing Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trainee of the month (2022)

Academic recognition

Global Anaesthesia, Surgery and Obstetric Collaboration (GASOC) Sustainable Global Surgery Conference runner up in essay competition to optimise care in low-income countries (2022)
Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) Congress Encouragement award for oral presentation (2021)
First and third prizes at Preterm Birth dialogues Conference at University of Cape Town for oral presentation (2019 and 2021)

Public speaking recognition

First prize at the Three-minute presentation (3M) at the Academic Unit of Reproductive and Developmental medicine at the University of Sheffield (2017)
Co-produced the Festival of the Mind “Born too early too soon: a story across gestations” (2018) https://youtu.be/wvQZYFxBIwE

I have also been awarded the joint JSOG/RCOG travel fellowship (2023), the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals’ Ernest Finch (2019) and the University of Sheffield Department of Oncology and Metabolism Learned Society Fund (2018) to present research at national and international conferences (ca. £4000.00), and funding to promote continuous professional development from the University of Sheffield including attending a mini-BMA for healthcare professionals (2019) and delivering a seminar on research participation in 2023 (ca. £2000.00).