CRITCHLEY Hilary

  • Professor of Reproductive Medicine and Head of Deanery of Clinical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  • Clinical Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Professor Critchley is a medical graduate from University of Manchester and undertook Postgraduate clinical training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Manchester and Edinburgh. Her research training was with Professor David Baird in Edinburgh; Professor David Anderson in Manchester; and Professor David Healy in Melbourne, Australia.

Her research programme focuses upon local uterine mechanisms involved in menstruation and implantation and addresses mechanisms common to these reproductive processes – injury and repair, endocrine-immune interactions, and regulation of inflammatory mediators. A particular area of interest has been the local endometrial response to withdrawal of progesterone, both physiological and pharmacological.

Her fundamental studies have made major contributions to the understanding of mechanisms regulating the onset of menstruation and established local effects of pharmacological steroid receptor modulation in uterine tissues with a view to development of novel treatment strategies for menstrual complaints. Testimony to her research contributions are over 250 peer reviewed publications.

She has co-chaired an International Agreement Process for terminologies/definitions and a classification system for abnormalities of menstrual bleeding supported by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and remains a member of the FIGO Menstrual Disorders Committee.

Her expertise in the field of endometrial biology/reproductive medicine has been nationally and internationally recognised. She is a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences (UK) (elected 2009) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (elected 2012).

Professor Critchley served on the Board of the World Endometriosis Society from 2011-2017, and became a WES Ambassador in May 2017.