Professor Fiona Dykes
Fiona Dykes is a member of the Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN). She is also an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University. Fiona has a particular interest in the global, socio-cultural and political influences upon infant and young child feeding practices.
Fiona is now an Honorary member of UCLan’s Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN), having retired in 2020. Fiona is a member of the Organising and Scientific Review Committees for the MAINN Conference. This is a three day, international, peer-reviewed event which she established in 2007. The conference is held bi-annually in the UK and, more recently, on alternate years overseas to include Sydney, Sweden and Florida. Abstracts are published in Maternal and Child Nutrition, the Wiley-Blackwell published international journal. Fiona is a member of the editorial board.
Fiona has worked on WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, EC, DH, NHS, NIHR, Wellcome Trust, British Council, British Academy and Australian Research Council (ARC) funded projects. Her methodological expertise is in ethnography and other qualitative research methods.
Fiona is author of the monograph Breastfeeding in Hospital: Mothers, Midwives and the Production Line (Routledge). She is co-author of Banking on Milk: An ethnography of donor human milk relations. She is also joint editor of several books including Infant and Young Child Feeding: Challenges to implementing a Global Strategy (Wiley-Blackwell) and Ethnographic Research in Maternal and Child Health (Routledge). Fiona has a specialist interest in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. Fiona is internationally known for her research in this field. She has given keynote presentations in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and USA.
- PhD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sheffield, 2004
- MA Health Research (Distinction), Lancaster University, 1998
- Certificate of Education HE (Distinction), University of Manchester, 1989
- Registered Midwife Teacher (ENB), 1989
- Advanced Diploma in Midwifery, BIHE (Distinction), 1987
- Registered Midwife, Medway, Kent, 1984
- Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF)
- Protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding
- Relational perspectives in maternal and child health
- Critical medical anthropology
- Ethnographic research
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Use the links below to view their profiles:
- Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture Unit (MAINN)
- NIHR (Public Health) Assets-based feeding help Before and After birth (ABA): Full trial for improving breastfeeding initiation and continuation with Jolly K - PI-Birmingham University, 2020
- Breastfeeding and ‘milk siblings’: Challenges and opportunities for human milk banking and donation in Malaysia, British Academy Newton Mobility Grant, for Sani NA – Universiti Kebangsaan, Malaysia, 2017-2019
- EU Horizon 2020 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship for Dr Tanya Cassidy (Ireland), 2017
- Five-year secondment to School of Health and Social Sciences, Dalarna University as Visiting Professor 0.2WTE, 2014-2019
- Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly: A Global Scale-up (BBF) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) School of Public Health, Yale University, 2015-2018
- NIHR (Public Health) Assets-based feeding help Before and After birth (ABA): Feasibility study for improving breastfeeding initiation and continuation with Jolly K (PI-Birmingham University) et al. Trial reg. number ISRCTN14760978.2016-2019
- Teaching as Visiting Professor at Chinese University of Hong Kong - 3 visits in 2014, 2016, 2018
- Best Beginnings/DH Evaluation of Parental Perceptions of ‘Small Wonders’ DVD in NICUs, 2014-2016
- NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research & Care (CLAHRC) Funded full-time Doctoral Studentship, Ohly H., 2014-2017
- NIHR (CLAHRC) Improving Public Health and Reducing Health Inequalities. Popay J (PI), Dykes F, Whitehead, Capewell, Downe, Barr, Milligan, Hollingsworth, Zucchelli, Hatton, Holland, Limmer, Theme Grant: £1,499,830 to NW Coast - UCLan, Lancaster, Liverpool, 2013-2018
- NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme. HTA 10/31/02 BIBS; Benefits of Incentives for Breastfeeding and Smoking cessation: a platform study for a trial. Hoddinott P (PI - Stirling), Dykes F (PI - UCLan), et al., 2012-2014
- The Jirga and its potential for community engagement in research in North West Pakistan – an ethnographic exploration. Lowe N, Lhussier M, Zaman M, Dykes F. Wellcome Trust: International Engagement Awards WT096707MA, 2012-2014
- Evaluation of the National Breastfeeding supporter line, commissioned research funded by DH/ (National Breastfeeding Helpline Service), 2011
- Commissioned evaluation of the Information Feeding Information Team (IFIT) set up in North West England (to establish a national model), 2010-2011
- A selection of ten conferences - see below
- Global implications of the relaunched WHO/UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative at Current Controversies in Infant Feeding, St. John's Medical Centre, Memorial University, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada, Oct 24th - 26th 2018
- Growing a Highly Effective Community of Practice between Academics and Practitioners at From Research to Practice: Across Health Sciences at IAG · Institut für Angewandte, Bochum, Germany 20th Sept 2018
- WHO/UNICEF BFHI 25 Years On: Healthy Children Faculty (USA) Conference, Miami, Florida 9th-12th January 2018
- Reconfiguring of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative reflecting the importance of relationships. ESRC seminar: Social experiences of breastfeeding – Building bridges between research and policy. Bristol 9th Nov 2016
- Social and cultural barriers to breastfeeding and optimum infant nutrition. At Hong Kong College of Midwives, Annual General Meeting and Scientific Seminar.Kowloon, Hong Kong 6th Sept 2016
- Reconfiguration of the UNICEF UK BFHI reflecting on the importance of relationships at 5th MAINN International conference at Western Sydney University (WSU) 5th-7th Nov 2014
- Beyond information towards relational approaches with women At Fourth Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine European Regional Meeting for Physicians. University of Trieste, Italy, 19th-20th May 2012
- Women’s experiences of breastfeeding at the end of the medical production line (based on monograph published with Routledge). At International Lactation Consultant’s Conference USA, Orlando, Florida, 11th-14th Jan 2011
- WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding: Challenges to implementation. At International Lactation Consultant’s Conference USA, Orlando, Florida,11th-14th Jan 2011
- Encouraging breastfeeding: what works? At The Science of Newborn Care: Imperial College London, 15th-19th Nov 2010
Use the links below to view their profiles: