![Rebecca Milton BSc, MPH, PhD](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/3613?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Rebecca Milton
(she/her)
BSc, MPH, PhD
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Rebecca Milton
Research student
Research Associate - Trial Manager
Overview
I am a Research Associate / Trial Manager at the Centre for Trials Research (CTR) working on two global health research studies and have recently passed my PhD in global health.
My current projects:
SunPad, a research portfolio with work currently in both Kenya and Nepal. Self-cleaning period products designed to kill up to 99.999% of bacteria when exposed to sunlight. This product is being field tested in Nepal and manufacturing and upscaling is being explored in Kenya. This research is funded by the Gates Foundation and the CTR are working with Schools of Pharmacy and Chemistry as well as an NGO, Global Action Nepal, and Tribhuvan Univeristy.
Some of my previous work include:
The POOL Study which is a study looking to establish the safety of waterbirths, this is led by School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University and is based in the UK across 26 NHS sites.
SIMCA a study exploring at the factors influencing the implementation of the Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) model of care in England: a mixed method cross-case analysis.
STEADFAST a research study looking at education outcomes in young people with diabetes: innovative involvement and governance to support public trust.
PAN-COVID is a global registry led by Imperial College London, aiming to evaluate the association of suspected COVID-19 and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in women in pregnancy with: 1. Miscarriage, 2. Fetal growth restriction and stillbirth, 3. Pre-term delivery and 4. Vertical transmission
FEMUR III is definitive randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of a community-based rehabilitation package following hip fracture led by Liverpool University, CTR oversee three NHS sites in South Wales.
Stillbirth in Nigeria Incidence and determinants of stillbirth in Nigeria a feasibility study funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund.
BARNARDS (Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates from Developing Societies) which was led by Cardiff University and was a global study aiming to determine the incidence of sepsis in neonates from seven low- and middle income countries as well as to understand the burden of antibiotic resistance which was funded by The Gates Foundation.
Publication
2026
- Sanders, J. et al. 2026. Characteristics of women, intrapartum interventions, and maternal and neonatal outcomes among users of intrapartum water immersion: The UK POOL Cohort Study. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care 53 (1), pp.55-66. (10.1111/birt.12921)
- Rodrigues, P. R. S. et al. 2026. Finger-prick transcriptomic profiling in northern Nigeria reveals a muted maternal systemic response in stillbirth. npj Women's Health 4 (1) 8. (10.1038/s44294-025-00103-w)
2025
- Middlemiss, A. L. et al., 2025. The moral regime of midwifery continuity of carer implementation in England. Sociology of Health & Illness 47 (8) e70087. (10.1111/1467-9566.70087)
- Channon, S. et al. 2025. Exploring the role of patient and public involvement in implementation research using the study of implementation of midwifery continuity of carer (SIMCA). NIHR Open Research 5 90. (10.3310/nihropenres.14005.2)
- Sanders, J. et al. 2025. Authors' Reply [Letter to the Editor]. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 132 (2), pp.226-227. (10.1111/1471-0528.17960)
- Milton, R. et al. 2025. The SIMCA Study Protocol: Factors influencing the implementation of the Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) model of care in NHS maternity care in England: A mixed methods cross case analysis involving clinicians, women and policy makers.. NIHR Open Research 5 4. (10.3310/nihropenres.13745.1)
2024
- Sanders, J. et al. 2024. Maternal and neonatal outcomes among spontaneous vaginal births occurring in or out of water following intrapartum water immersion: The POOL cohort study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 131 (12), pp.1650-1659. (10.1111/1471-0528.17878)
- Middlemiss, A. L. et al., 2024. Barriers and facilitators when implementing midwifery continuity of carer: a narrative analysis of the international literature. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 24 (1) 540. (10.1186/s12884-024-06649-y)
- Nieto-Rosado, M. et al. 2024. Colonisation of hospital surfaces from low- and middle-income countries by extended spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing bacteria. Nature Communications 15 2758. (10.1038/s41467-024-46684-z)
- Portal, E. A. R. et al. 2024. Characterisation of colistin resistance in Gram-negative microbiota of pregnant women and neonates in Nigeria. Nature Communications 15 (1) 2302. (10.1038/s41467-024-45673-6)
2023
- Naha, S. et al., 2023. Carriage and within-host diversity of mcr-1.1-harboring Escherichia coli from pregnant mothers: inter- and intra-mother transmission dynamics of mcr-1.1. Emerging Microbes & Infections 12 2278899. (10.1080/22221751.2023.2278899)
- Lugg-Widger, F. et al. 2023. The practicalities of adapting UK maternity clinical information systems for observational research: Experiences of the POOL study. International Journal of Population Data Science 8 (1) 18. (10.23889/ijpds.v8i1.2072)
2022
- Carvalho, M. J. et al., 2022. Antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbiota of mothers and linked neonates with or without sepsis from low- and middle-income countries. Nature Microbiology 7 , pp.1337-1347. (10.1038/s41564-022-01184-y)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Incidence and sociodemographic, living environment and maternal health associations with stillbirth in a tertiary healthcare setting in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Short title: Incidence and factors associated with stillbirth in Kano, Nigeria. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 22 692. (10.1186/s12884-022-04971-x)
- Mullins, E. et al., 2022. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of COVID-19: The PAN-COVID study. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 276 , pp.161-167. (10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.07.010)
- Sands, K. et al. 2022. Characterisation of Staphylococci species from neonatal blood cultures in low- and middle-income countries. BMC Infectious Diseases 22 (1) 593. (10.1186/s12879-022-07541-w)
- Iregbu, K. et al., 2022. Global health systems' data science approach for precision diagnosis of sepsis in early life. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 22 (5), pp.E143-E152. (10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00645-9)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Neonatal sepsis and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries from a facility-based birth cohort: an international multisite prospective observational study. The Lancet Global Health 10 (5), pp.e661-e672. (10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00043-2)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Determinants of stillbirth from two observational studies investigating deliveries in Kano, Nigeria. Frontiers in Global Women's Health 2 788157. (10.3389/fgwh.2021.788157)
- Cannings-John, R. et al. 2022. Protocol and statistical analysis plan for the POOL study: establishing the safety of waterbirth for mothers and babies: a cohort study with nested qualitative component. British Medical Journal
2021
- Milton, R. et al. 2021. A qualitative focus group study concerning perceptions and experiences of Nigerian mothers on stillbirths. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 21 (1) 830. (10.1186/s12884-021-04207-4)
- Thomson, K. M. et al. 2021. Effects of antibiotic resistance, drug target attainment, bacterial pathogenicity and virulence, and antibiotic access and affordability on outcomes in neonatal sepsis: an international microbiology and drug evaluation prospective substudy (BARNARDS). The Lancet Infectious Diseases 21 (12), pp.1677-1688. (10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00050-5)
- Solomon, S. et al., 2021. Prevalence and risk factors for antimicrobial resistance among newborns with gram-negative sepsis. PLoS ONE 16 (8) e0255410. (10.1371/journal.pone.0255410)
- Sands, K. et al. 2021. Characterization of antimicrobial resistant Gram-negative bacteria that cause neonatal sepsis in seven low and middle-income countries. Nature Microbiology 6 , pp.512–523. (10.1038/s41564-021-00870-7)
- Milton, R. et al. 2021. Establishing the safety of waterbirth for mothers and babies: a cohort study with nested qualitative component: The protocol for the POOL study. BMJ Open 11 (1) e040684. (10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040684)
2020
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2020. Factors influencing water immersion during labour: qualitative case studies of six maternity units in the United Kingdom. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 20 (1) 719. (10.1186/s12884-020-03416-7)
- Hopkinson, J. et al. 2020. Potential for identification of memory problems in the cancer clinic to enable improved treatment experience and outcomes: mixed methods case study research. European Journal of Oncology Nursing 48 101777. (10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101777)
2019
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2019. Factors influencing the use of birth pools in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of women, midwives and medical staff. Midwifery 79 102554. (10.1016/j.midw.2019.102554)
2016
- Hopkinson, J. B. et al. 2016. People with dementia: what is known about their experience of cancer treatment and cancer treatment outcomes? A systematic review. Psycho-Oncology 25 (10), pp.1137 -1146. (10.1002/pon.4185)
- Courtier, N. et al. 2016. Cancer and dementia: an exploratory study of the experience of cancer treatment in people with dementia. Psycho-Oncology 25 (9), pp.1079-1084. (10.1002/pon.4212)
- King, A. , Hopkinson, J. B. and Milton, R. 2016. Reflections of a team approach to involving people with dementia in research. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 22 (1), pp.372-377. (10.12968/ijpn.2016.22.1.22)
Articles
- Sanders, J. et al. 2026. Characteristics of women, intrapartum interventions, and maternal and neonatal outcomes among users of intrapartum water immersion: The UK POOL Cohort Study. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care 53 (1), pp.55-66. (10.1111/birt.12921)
- Rodrigues, P. R. S. et al. 2026. Finger-prick transcriptomic profiling in northern Nigeria reveals a muted maternal systemic response in stillbirth. npj Women's Health 4 (1) 8. (10.1038/s44294-025-00103-w)
- Middlemiss, A. L. et al., 2025. The moral regime of midwifery continuity of carer implementation in England. Sociology of Health & Illness 47 (8) e70087. (10.1111/1467-9566.70087)
- Channon, S. et al. 2025. Exploring the role of patient and public involvement in implementation research using the study of implementation of midwifery continuity of carer (SIMCA). NIHR Open Research 5 90. (10.3310/nihropenres.14005.2)
- Sanders, J. et al. 2025. Authors' Reply [Letter to the Editor]. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 132 (2), pp.226-227. (10.1111/1471-0528.17960)
- Milton, R. et al. 2025. The SIMCA Study Protocol: Factors influencing the implementation of the Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) model of care in NHS maternity care in England: A mixed methods cross case analysis involving clinicians, women and policy makers.. NIHR Open Research 5 4. (10.3310/nihropenres.13745.1)
- Sanders, J. et al. 2024. Maternal and neonatal outcomes among spontaneous vaginal births occurring in or out of water following intrapartum water immersion: The POOL cohort study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 131 (12), pp.1650-1659. (10.1111/1471-0528.17878)
- Middlemiss, A. L. et al., 2024. Barriers and facilitators when implementing midwifery continuity of carer: a narrative analysis of the international literature. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 24 (1) 540. (10.1186/s12884-024-06649-y)
- Nieto-Rosado, M. et al. 2024. Colonisation of hospital surfaces from low- and middle-income countries by extended spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing bacteria. Nature Communications 15 2758. (10.1038/s41467-024-46684-z)
- Portal, E. A. R. et al. 2024. Characterisation of colistin resistance in Gram-negative microbiota of pregnant women and neonates in Nigeria. Nature Communications 15 (1) 2302. (10.1038/s41467-024-45673-6)
- Naha, S. et al., 2023. Carriage and within-host diversity of mcr-1.1-harboring Escherichia coli from pregnant mothers: inter- and intra-mother transmission dynamics of mcr-1.1. Emerging Microbes & Infections 12 2278899. (10.1080/22221751.2023.2278899)
- Lugg-Widger, F. et al. 2023. The practicalities of adapting UK maternity clinical information systems for observational research: Experiences of the POOL study. International Journal of Population Data Science 8 (1) 18. (10.23889/ijpds.v8i1.2072)
- Carvalho, M. J. et al., 2022. Antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbiota of mothers and linked neonates with or without sepsis from low- and middle-income countries. Nature Microbiology 7 , pp.1337-1347. (10.1038/s41564-022-01184-y)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Incidence and sociodemographic, living environment and maternal health associations with stillbirth in a tertiary healthcare setting in Kano, Northern Nigeria. Short title: Incidence and factors associated with stillbirth in Kano, Nigeria. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 22 692. (10.1186/s12884-022-04971-x)
- Mullins, E. et al., 2022. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of COVID-19: The PAN-COVID study. European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 276 , pp.161-167. (10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.07.010)
- Sands, K. et al. 2022. Characterisation of Staphylococci species from neonatal blood cultures in low- and middle-income countries. BMC Infectious Diseases 22 (1) 593. (10.1186/s12879-022-07541-w)
- Iregbu, K. et al., 2022. Global health systems' data science approach for precision diagnosis of sepsis in early life. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 22 (5), pp.E143-E152. (10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00645-9)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Neonatal sepsis and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries from a facility-based birth cohort: an international multisite prospective observational study. The Lancet Global Health 10 (5), pp.e661-e672. (10.1016/S2214-109X(22)00043-2)
- Milton, R. et al. 2022. Determinants of stillbirth from two observational studies investigating deliveries in Kano, Nigeria. Frontiers in Global Women's Health 2 788157. (10.3389/fgwh.2021.788157)
- Cannings-John, R. et al. 2022. Protocol and statistical analysis plan for the POOL study: establishing the safety of waterbirth for mothers and babies: a cohort study with nested qualitative component. British Medical Journal
- Milton, R. et al. 2021. A qualitative focus group study concerning perceptions and experiences of Nigerian mothers on stillbirths. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 21 (1) 830. (10.1186/s12884-021-04207-4)
- Thomson, K. M. et al. 2021. Effects of antibiotic resistance, drug target attainment, bacterial pathogenicity and virulence, and antibiotic access and affordability on outcomes in neonatal sepsis: an international microbiology and drug evaluation prospective substudy (BARNARDS). The Lancet Infectious Diseases 21 (12), pp.1677-1688. (10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00050-5)
- Solomon, S. et al., 2021. Prevalence and risk factors for antimicrobial resistance among newborns with gram-negative sepsis. PLoS ONE 16 (8) e0255410. (10.1371/journal.pone.0255410)
- Sands, K. et al. 2021. Characterization of antimicrobial resistant Gram-negative bacteria that cause neonatal sepsis in seven low and middle-income countries. Nature Microbiology 6 , pp.512–523. (10.1038/s41564-021-00870-7)
- Milton, R. et al. 2021. Establishing the safety of waterbirth for mothers and babies: a cohort study with nested qualitative component: The protocol for the POOL study. BMJ Open 11 (1) e040684. (10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040684)
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2020. Factors influencing water immersion during labour: qualitative case studies of six maternity units in the United Kingdom. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 20 (1) 719. (10.1186/s12884-020-03416-7)
- Hopkinson, J. et al. 2020. Potential for identification of memory problems in the cancer clinic to enable improved treatment experience and outcomes: mixed methods case study research. European Journal of Oncology Nursing 48 101777. (10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101777)
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2019. Factors influencing the use of birth pools in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of women, midwives and medical staff. Midwifery 79 102554. (10.1016/j.midw.2019.102554)
- Hopkinson, J. B. et al. 2016. People with dementia: what is known about their experience of cancer treatment and cancer treatment outcomes? A systematic review. Psycho-Oncology 25 (10), pp.1137 -1146. (10.1002/pon.4185)
- Courtier, N. et al. 2016. Cancer and dementia: an exploratory study of the experience of cancer treatment in people with dementia. Psycho-Oncology 25 (9), pp.1079-1084. (10.1002/pon.4212)
- King, A. , Hopkinson, J. B. and Milton, R. 2016. Reflections of a team approach to involving people with dementia in research. International Journal of Palliative Nursing 22 (1), pp.372-377. (10.12968/ijpn.2016.22.1.22)
Research
My current research study commitments are focused on global health research, with a particular interest in women's and newborn health.
I am working on the SunPad study, which is exploring a novel self-cleaning menstruation product. Two research projects are underway, one in Nepal and one in Kenya. The study results are anticipated early 2027.
Teaching
Since 2024, I have delivered a lecture on Global Health in the Masters of Public Health, Cardiff University
Biography
Education and Qualifications:
- 2026: PhD in Global Health
- 2016: PRINCE II – Project Management
- 2013: MPH; Cardiff University
- 2013: Bsc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Community Health; University of Glamorgan
- 2010: Institute of Leadership and Management, Leading and Managing Teams
Grants:
- Co-applicant: SunPad: Evaluating the microbial burden on standard reusable menstrual pads and SunPad in Nepal. Gates Foundation.
- Co-applicant: SunPad: Scale the Manufacturing of SunPad in Kenya. Gates Foundation.
- Co-applicant: SunPad: Self-cleaning material with photo-active catalysis: field trials in Nepal. Gates Foundation.
- Co-applicant: SIMCA: Factors influencing the implementation of the Midwifery Continuity of Carer (MCoC) model of care in England: a mixed method cross-case analysis.
- Lead applicant: Network award for GCRF dissemination (Incidence and risk factors of stillbirth in Nigeria) (GCRF)
- Co-applicant: BARNARDS: Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates from developing societies (Bill & Melinda Gates) and Incidence and risk factors of stillbirth in Northern Nigeria (Kano) (GCRF)
Honours and awards
- February 2020: GW4 Early Career Symposia Scheme (AMR)
- April 2019: Outstanding contribution to international work through the Cardiff University MEDIC Star Awards.
Professional memberships
- UK Trial Managers Network (UKTMN)
- NIHR-MRC Trials Methodology Research Partnership Global Health Working Group Member
Academic positions
- 2023 - present: Research Fellow (PT)
- 2018 - present: Research Assoicate / Trial Manager: CTR
- 2015-2018: Project Manager: BARNARDS, Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University
- 2014-2015: Research Assistant: Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University
- 2010-2015: Project Assistant: MITReG, Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University
Supervisions
- Public Health
- Gobal Health
