About

Dr. Patricia Hibberd, MD, PhD, is the Chair of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health and a professor of Global Health there. She also holds positions as a professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases at BUSM. Her educational background includes a BSc (honors) from King’s College, London, a PhD in information science/epidemiology from Leicester University, and an MD from Harvard Medical School. She trained in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Hibberd has held leadership roles in infectious diseases, epidemiology, clinical research, and global health at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center. Her research focuses on the prevention and treatment of childhood pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, and diarrhea, which are leading causes of death among children under five worldwide. She has worked extensively in India for over 20 years, with her research funded by NIH/NICHD’s Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Saving Lives at Birth. She is dedicated to mentorship and fostering the development of future global health leaders, including students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty. Dr. Hibberd has published over 300 articles, chapters, and books, and serves on advisory boards for various US and international organizations.

Research topics

• Obstetrics
• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Demography
• Pediatrics
• Surgery
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Rates and risk factors for preterm birth and low birthweight in the global network sites in six low- and low middle-income countries

  Reproductive Health · 2020 · 135 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Pediatrics

  BACKGROUND: Preterm birth continues to be a major public health problem contributing to 75% of the neonatal mortality worldwide. Low birth weight (LBW) is an important but imperfect surrogate for prematurity when accurate assessment of gestational age is not possible. While there is overlap between preterm birth and LBW newborns, those that are both premature and LBW are at the highest risk of adverse neonatal outcomes. Understanding the epidemiology of preterm birth and LBW is important for prevention and improved care for at risk newborns, but in many countries, data are sparse and incomplete. METHODS: We conducted data analyses using the Global Network's (GN) population-based registry of pregnant women and their babies in rural communities in six low- and middle-income countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Zambia, Guatemala, India and Pakistan). We analyzed data from January 2014 to December 2018. Trained study staff enrolled all pregnant women in the study catchment area as early as possible during pregnancy and conducted follow-up visits shortly after delivery and at 42 days after delivery. We analyzed the rates of preterm birth, LBW and the combination of preterm birth and LBW and studied risk factors associated with these outcomes across the GN sites. RESULTS: A total of 272,192 live births were included in the analysis. The overall preterm birth rate was 12.6% (ranging from 8.6% in Belagavi, India to 21.8% in the Pakistani site). The overall LBW rate was 13.6% (ranging from 2.7% in the Kenyan site to 21.4% in the Pakistani site). The overall rate of both preterm birth and LBW was 5.5% (ranging from 1.2% in the Kenyan site to 11.0% in the Pakistani site). Risk factors associated with preterm birth, LBW and the combination were similar across sites and included nulliparity [RR - 1.27 (95% CI 1.21-1.33)], maternal age under 20 [RR 1.41 (95% CI 1.32-1.49)] years, severe antenatal hemorrhage [RR 5.18 95% CI 4.44-6.04)], hypertensive disorders [RR 2.74 (95% CI - 1.21-1.33], and 1-3 antenatal visits versus four or more [RR 1.68 (95% CI 1.55-1.83)]. CONCLUSIONS: Preterm birth, LBW and their combination continue to be common public health problems at some of the GN sites, particularly among young, nulliparous women who have received limited antenatal care services. Trial registration The identifier of the Maternal and Newborn Health Registry at ClinicalTrials.gov is NCT01073475. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The identifier of the Maternal and Newborn Health Registry at ClinicalTrials.gov is NCT01073475.

  DOI

• Low-dose aspirin for the prevention of preterm delivery in nulliparous women with a singleton pregnancy (ASPIRIN): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

  The Lancet · 2020 · 349 citations

  • Medicine
  • Obstetrics
  • Surgery
  DOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K24AT003683

  NIH · $1.9M · 2016

• NIH Grant R13AT003805

  NIH · $37k · 2007

• NIH Grant R13AT007899

  NIH · $29k · 2014

• NIH Grant U01HD058322

  NIH · $4.0M · 2013

• Boston University/Lata Medical Research Foundation Global Network for Women's Children's Health Research Unit

  NIH · $4.9M · 2013–2030

Frequent coauthors

• Archana Patel

  634 shared

• Shivaprasad S. Goudar

  Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College

  594 shared

• Elizabeth M. McClure

  RTI International

  556 shared

• Fabian Esamai

  Moi University

  546 shared

• Richard J. Derman

  Thomas Jefferson University

  545 shared

• Robert L. Goldenberg

  541 shared

• Marion Koso‐Thomas

  539 shared

• Waldemar A. Carlo

  University of Alabama at Birmingham

  538 shared

Labs

• Admissions TeamPI

Awards & honors

• Paul G. Rogers Society Ambassador for Global Health Research
• Chair of the Data and Safety Monitoring Board for the CDC’s…

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