Dr Elinor Sebire

Biography

I am a Research Fellow within the Institute of Applied Health Sciences.

My research builds on my previous work as a PhD student within the same institute. My doctoral research explored the impact of implementing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) into antenatal screening for Down's syndrome in Scotland, and I continue to develop this research in my current role (Congenital Conditions in Scotland: Screening, Pregnancy Outcomes and Child Health Research | The Institute of Applied Health Sciences | The University of Aberdeen).

My research interests centre on women’s health and public health, with a particular emphasis on generating knowledge to inform appropriate, sensitive, and equitable patient care. I am especially interested in how health services can be designed and adapted to meet the diverse needs of the populations they serve.

I use a mixed-methods approach in my work, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies to gain a comprehensive understanding of health behaviours, outcomes, and service delivery. This approach enables me to combine statistical and epidemiological insights with the lived experiences and perspectives of service users and healthcare professionals.

Ultimately, my aim is to contribute to research that supports better-informed health policy and practice - improving access, experience, and outcomes for communities across different contexts.

External Memberships

Society for Reproduction and Fertility (2024 - present)

Stakeholder Groups

• Member of the stakeholder group overseeing the NIPT evaluation being conducted by Public Health Scotland (evaluation of the implementation and impact of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the antenatal screening pathways in Scotland (introduced September 2020))

Research Overview

My research interests centre on women’s health and public health, with a particular emphasis on generating knowledge to inform appropriate, sensitive, and equitable patient care. I am especially interested in how health services can be designed and adapted to meet the diverse needs of the populations they serve.

I use a mixed-methods approach in my work, combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies to gain a comprehensive understanding of health behaviours, outcomes, and service delivery. This approach enables me to combine statistical and epidemiological insights with the lived experiences and perspectives of service users and healthcare professionals.

Current Research

Child health and congenital conditions:

• Prevalence of livebirths, terminations of pregnancy and stillbirths among pregnancies of babies with Down's syndrome in Scotland (2000-2021), and associations with maternal characteristics [PhD research]
• Post-natal outcomes of babies diagnosed with Down's syndrome in Scotland (2000-2021)
• Experiences and perceptions of NHS NIPT among women and birthing people and healthcare professionals in Scotland
• Cost-effectiveness of implementing non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) as a first-line screening test for Down's syndrome

Past Research

Child health and congenital conditions:

• Total and live birth prevalence of singleton pregnancies with Down's syndrome in Scotland between 2000 and 2021
• The implementation and impact of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down’s syndrome into antenatal screening programmes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pregnancy and child health:

• The impact of in utero exposure to cancer treatments on foetal reproductive development and future fertility (BSc research and systematic review publication - University of Edinburgh)

Collaborations

• Public Health Scotland - External Partner Organisation for Medical Research Scotland funded PhD Studentship research (2021 - 2025) and collaborator for analysis of trends in pregnancy and post-natal outcomes research for pregnancies of babies with Down's syndrome (2025 - Present). Supporting the provision of necessary national datasets for analysis and dissemination. 

Funding and Grants

Funding

October 2021 - September 2025 Medical Research Scotland PhD Studentship (grant number PHD-50200-2020). External Partner Organisation - Public Health Scotland.

October 2025 - April 2028 Roy Weir Post-Doctoral Fellowship.