Dr Obed Brew
With over 29 years’ experience in healthcare and higher education (HE) including at least 16 years in senior positions in HE, I have made notable contributions to healthcare workforce development through both undergraduate and postgraduate biomedical science, bioinformatics, machine learning and artificial intelligence for health, precision medicine, nursing and medical workforce training. I studied Human Physiology and Pharmacology at the University Hertfordshire and later, Human Reproductive Biology at the Imperial College London. Clinically, I undertook training in IVF and clinical andrology, nursing and midwifery, and worked for over 10 years in both public and private healthcare institutions in London including the then St Samaritan’s Hospital for women, London, Edgware General Hospital London, St Mary’s Hospital Paddington, London and the NHS Direct.
Except for a brief period of time working as a visiting researcher at the then Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the former Royal Postgraduate Medical School (now part of the Imperial College) Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, I have over the past 20 years worked sorely in HEI, mainly at the University of West London with a focus on teaching and research. My early career in HE started as a basic science tutor for pre-registration nurses, focusing on teaching Physics and Chemistry as applied to Nursing and later as a lecturer in Life and Applied Sciences at Wolfson Institute of Health and Human Science. In later years, my teaching is mainly focused on precision medicine, genomics, bioinformatics, service design and improvement in healthcare,
I focus my technical expertise in harnessing rapid advances in bioinformatics, data science and AI to spur discoveries and innovations to promote significant improvements in human health. In these areas, I have authored several research and scholarly articles including technical reports, research, systematic reviews, educational materials, and conference proceedings.
I am currently an Associate Professor with responsibilities including lead for bioinformatics and precision medicine research group; chair of ethics committee for the School of Medicine and Biosciences, course leadership for MSc Bioinformatics, and MSc Bioinformatics Scientist Apprenticeship – roles that involve providing substantive leadership, strategic direction and oversight of learning, teaching and assessment. I provide health improvement, healthcare service re/design and workforce development consultancy and my past clients include Novo Nordisk UK and Middle East on workforce development in diabetes care, INSCOL India.
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Qualifications
- PhD in Genomics and Bioinformatics
- MPhil in Reproductive Biochemistry
- MSc in Human Reproductive Biology
- PGCertEd in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
- BSc (Hons) in Applied Physiology and Pharmacology
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Memberships
British Fertility Society (BFS)Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Teaching
I have over 29 years' experience in healthcare and higher education (HE) including more than 16 years in senior HE positions. In addition to leading this course, I am an Associate Professor and the lead for pregnancy, childbirth and women's health research. In these roles I provide substantive leadership, strategic direction and oversight of learning, teaching and assessment.
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Research and publications
Publications
Brew, O. & Sullivan, M.H.F. (2017) Oxygen and tissue culture affect placental gene expression. Placenta, 55, p.13-20.
Brew O, Sullivan M. (2017) Elevated Histamine Model: A Protocol for an ex vivo model for in vitro study of histamine effect on placenta. Protocols.io dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.jigckbw
Brew, O., Sullivan, M.H. & Woodman, A. (2016) Comparison of Normal and Pre-Eclamptic Placental Gene Expression: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. PloS One, 11(8), p.e0161504.
Brew, O., Nikolopoulou, E., Hughes, A., Christian, M., Lee, Y., Oduwole, O., Sullivan, M.H.F. & Woodman, A. (2016) Quality of placental RNA: Effects of explant size and culture duration. Placenta, 46, p.45-48.
Brew O, Sullivan MHF (2015) Placental Gene Expression in Response to Histamine and Oxygen, Gene Expression Omnibus. Series accession number GSE74446 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE74446)
Brew, O. & Sullivan, M.H.F. (2007) Histamine regulates placental diamine oxidase mrna expression - Evidence for a feedback loop decreasing histamine production in pregnancy? Placenta, 28(8 - 9), p.A71.
Brew O, Lakasing L, Sullivan M. (2007) Differential Activity of Histidine Decarboxylase in Normal and Pre-eclamptic Placentae. Placenta. May-Jun;28(5-6):585-7.
Brew O, Sullivan MH. (2006) The links between maternal histamine levels and complications of human pregnancy. J Reprod Immunol. Dec;72(1-2):94-107
Brew O, Sullivan, M. H., Roller S (2005), "Regulatory loops between cytokines and histamine in the human placenta", Placenta, vol. 26, no. 8-9, p. A.52
Brew, OB & Sullivan MH (2001) Localisation of mRNAs for diamine oxidase and histamine receptors H1 and H2, at the feto-maternal interface of human pregnancy, Inflammation Research, 50(9): 449-452
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Conferences
Brew O, (2019) Variant Call Analysis, West African Sustainable Leadership and Innovation Training in Bioinformatics Research, Workshop 1st – 5th April, KNUST, Ghana.
Brew O and Chaggar G, (2016) Students feedback on feedback, assessment criteria and guidelines. In: UWL Teaching and Learning Conference 2016, 28 Jun 2016, London, UK.
Brew O, Mobile learning device: an alternative effective platform for real time staff development, Innovation & Excellence in Ward-Based Critical Care Conference - 21 October 2010, No. 4 Hamilton Place, London
Brew O, (2007) Effect of histamine Diamine oxidase expression in Human placenta presented at 13th IFPA/2nd PAA Conference “Placenta-Platform for Life” Kingston, Canada August 17-22,
Brew O, (2006) Histamine Regulates Placental Diamine Oxidase Gene Expression - Evidence For A Feedback Loop Decreasing Histamine Production In Pregnancy? Presented at Third International Conference on Experimental and Clinical Reproductive Immunobiology Banff, Canada https://conferencealerts.com/show-event?id=ca1a30ma
Brew O, (2005) Regulatory loops between cytokines and histamine in the human placenta European Placental Group and International Federation of Placental Association annual Conference, Glasgow, UK
Brew O, (2005) Differential Activity of Histidine Decarboxylase in Normal and Pre-eclamptic Placentae EPG
Brew O, (2003) Histamine Intolerance and Histamine Poisoning in Pregnancy: Links with Preeclampsia – what the clinician should know! Presented at University of West London May -
Research degree supervision
Principal Supervisor
Non-surgical combination therapies for hair restoration in patients with hair loss
(Huda Hassan)Mobile Health Apps Redesign for healthcare worker wellbeing - User experience design approach
(Nurha Yingta)Automatic recognition of Pre-eclampsia - an application of artificial intelligence to detect women at risk of developing Pre-eclampsia in early pregnancy
(Suhirthakumar Puvanendran)Second Supervisor
Impact of Genetic Variations on Histamine Synthesis and Metabolism in Pre-eclamptic Pregnancies
(Clair Gyesi)To advance the development of sustainable plant-based fish analogue products using extracted proteins from seaweed varieties and gluten fractions.
(Nicole Leonard)
