Dr Danya Bakhbakhi

Dr Danya Bakhbakhi is an NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. Having cared for parents who have experienced pregnancy loss as an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor, she has been compelled to take time out from clinical training to undertake a PhD.

Her three-year project (the iCHOOSE study) aims to understand more about the health impact of stillbirth and neonatal death, to help improve research and the standards of care received by parents. Dr Bakhbakhi has been interviewing bereaved parents from across the UK to investigate what their experiences of grief have been, and what impact it has had on their health to inform the research.

Dr Bakhbakhi was previously involved in the PARENTS Study which aimed to develop and evaluate parental engagement in the hospital review process that takes place after a baby dies. This research informed the national Perinatal Mortality Review Tool which is currently being implemented in the UK.