Dr Frances O'Brien

Dr Frances O'Brien is a Consultant Neonatologist (a Paediatrician and specialist in newborn babies) with a long-standing interest in early child development. She deals with most medical conditions in infants (up to 1 year) as well as developmental assessment of children up to 3 years of age.

Frances studied medicine at the London Hospital Medical College, University of London; after paediatric training in London, she undertook a period of research (1997-2001) and was awarded an Action Research Fellowship in Neonatology at University College London; she completed Higher Specialist Training in Paediatrics, specialising in Neonatology and has worked as a consultant at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2009.

Having undertaken a period of research investigating mechanisms and prevention of perinatal brain injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes of prematurity in childhood and adolescence, Frances continues to have a research interest; she is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Oxford currently supervising a PhD student evaluating a standardised neurodevelopmental screening tool for all children born preterm.

Frances is the President of the British Association for Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-up.