Assistant Professor of Midwifery, Fatima College of Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates

Dr Maeve O’ Connel is an Assistant Professor of Midwifery at Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS) in Abu Dhabi, where she co-leads the development and teaching of the first CAA accredited Bachelor Midwifery degree program in the UAE. She has been in this role since 2021, after working as a registered midwife and nurse for 20 years with experience working in Ireland, Bahrain and the UK. She holds a PhD in Medicine and Health from University College Cork and a Master's in Advanced Practice from King's College London. She is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI, a prestigious honor that recognizes her exceptional contribution to the field. Maeve's research interests include intrapartum care, fear of childbirth (tocophobia), and perinatal mental health. She has published multiple articles, book chapters, and a Cochrane Review on these topics, and has presented her findings at international conferences. She is an Associate Editor for Women and Birth Journal and a peer reviewer for many journals. She is passionate about promoting midwifery and maternal and newborn health and has a strong presence on social media as a nurse and midwife. She aims to advance the evidence- based practice, leadership, and education of midwifery in the UAE and beyond.