Soo Downe, BA(Hons), RM, MSc, PhD, OBE, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Soo spent 15 years working as a clinical and research midwife. In .2001 she joined UCLan  where she is now the Professor of Midwifery Studies. Her main research focus is the nature of, and cultures around, normal birth. She has been a member of the Technical Working Group of the World Health Organization antenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and optimising caesarean section guidelines. 

She has published over 120 peer reviewed papers, and has undertaken research using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods. She is a member of the NHS England Better Births national Stakeholder group. She was the founder of the International Normal Labour and Birth Research Conference Series.