GNCs Louise Marryat receives major drug study funding to help children “fulfil their potential”
GNC member Dr Louise Marryat, based in the UK receives major funding to help children "fulfil their potential".
Dr. Louise Marryat, a researcher at the University of Dundee's School of Health Sciences and member of the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre in Sweden, has received a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship to investigate the impact of prenatal opioid exposure on children. The Future Leaders Fellowship provides 7 years of funding, allowing Dr. Marryat to focus in depth on this research.
The study, conducted in collaboration with women who use opioids, aims to analyse the health and development of children exposed to various opioids before birth. Dr. Marryat will use routinely collected medical and education data from the UK, Scandinavia, Australasia and Canada, to examine the developmental pathways of these children, with the goal of providing a better understanding to support networks, including families, clinicians, social workers, and teachers
The research aims to address the lack of knowledge about how opioid use during pregnancy affects children, considering factors such as environmental influences, varying types of opioids, and different doses.
Dr. Marryat expresses gratitude for the fellowship, emphasising the complexity of issues surrounding opioid use during pregnancy and the need for long-term research support. The ultimate goal is to identify effective means of supporting affected children, enabling them to reach their full potential.
