Catherine Peckham

Catherine S. Peckham (née King) is a British paediatrician.

Peckham was the first Professor of Paediatric Epidemiology in the UK, and established the Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London.[1][2] The Peckham Lecture is given each year at the Institute of Child Health.[3]

Life

Peckham was born in London, the daughter of Alexander King, and spent her early years in the USA. She was educated at St Paul's Girls' School[4] and at University College London. She was married to Sir Michael Peckham.

Medical career

As a clinical epidemiologist Peckham is best known for her work on infections in pregnancy, particularly rubella, cytomegalovirus[5] and HIV, and their impact on the fetus and developing child. She showed that rubella damage caused by exposure to maternal infection during pregnancy could continue after birth.[6] She worked on the early rubella vaccine trials and was instrumental in setting up the National Congenital Rubella Surveillance Programme.[7][8]

In 1986 she founded the multi-centre European Collaborative Study (ECS) on HIV in mothers and children with Carlo Giaquinto.[9][10][11][12] She was instrumental in establishing the national surveillance of HIV infection in pregnancy and childhood.[13] Her study of vaccination for infectious diseases in childhood was published by Action Research as the Peckham Report in 1989.[14] In 1986 she co-founded the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit.[15] From 2005 to 2007 she chaired the Scientific Coordinating Group for the Government's Foresight Programme on the Future Challenge of infectious Diseases.[16]

Peckham has been closely involved in national birth cohort studies[17] and the influence of biological, social and environmental factors in early life on later development has been a central theme in her work.[18]

Awards and honours

• CBE for services to child health, 1998
• Harding Award for the prevention of child disability, 1993
• 20th Anniversary Award for Leadership in HIV Child Care, Terence Higgins Trust, 2002
• James Spence Medal, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2003
• Founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, 1998

National and international positions

• Chair, Positive Action for Children Fund, 2010–[19]
• Chair, Medical Research Council Review of Gulf War Related Illness[20]
• Vice-President of Fonds de Solidarite Therapeutique Internationale 1998–2000[21]
• Chair, WHO Epidemiological Research and Forecasting, Global Programme on Aids, 1991–94
• Member then vice-chair, Nuffield Council on Bioethics, 1999–2006[22]
• Chair, Medical Research Council Human Fertilization and Embryology Working Group on children conceived by Assisted Reproduction, 2004[23]
• Chair, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Working Party on Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality (2008/9)[24]
• US-UK Fulbright Commissioner, Fulbright Commission 1986–1994)
• non-executive director, Advertising Standards Authority 1993–1999
• Vice-Chair, Board of Governors St Paul's Girls' School London, 1993–2006
• Governor of St Paul's School
• Member of Council, Institute of Education 1999–2007

References

1. "catherine-peckham". University College London. 14 October 2004. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
2. "Our history and structure". Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
3. "The 2011 Peckham Lecture". Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
4. "St Paul's Girls' | London – Inner (London postal codes)". Guide to independent schools. Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
5. Peckham, Catherines.; Coleman, Johnc.; Hurley, Rosalinde; Kong Shin Chin; Henderson, Kathy; Preece, Philipm. (1983). "Cytomegalovirus Infection in Pregnancy: Preliminary Findings From A Prospective Study". The Lancet. 321 (8338): 1352–1355. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(83)92138-4. PMID 6134135. S2CID 12597118. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
6. Catherine S. Peckham (1 August 1972). "Clinical and Laboratory Study of Children Exposed in utero to Maternal Rubella – Peckham 47 (254): 571". Archives of Disease in Childhood. 47 (254): 571–577. doi:10.1136/adc.47.254.571. PMC 1648297. PMID 5046774.
7. Tookey, P. A.; Peckham, C. S. (1999). "Surveillance of congenital rubella in Great Britain, 1971–96". BMJ. 318 (7186): 769–770. doi:10.1136/bmj.318.7186.769. PMC 27790. PMID 10082699.
8. "NSHPC Home Page". University College London. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
9. "CV Dr. Carlo Giaquinto". Medkeik.info. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
10. Original TextThe European Collaborative Study 1 (1988). "Mother-To-Child Transmission of Hiv Infection". The Lancet. 332 (8619): 1039–1043. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(88)90063-3. S2CID 54348316. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
11. Peckham, Catherine; Gibb, Diana (1995). "Mother-to-Child Transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus". New England Journal of Medicine. 333 (5): 298–303. doi:10.1056/NEJM199508033330507. PMID 7596375.
12. "HIV: European Collaborative Study on HIV-infected pregnant women and their children". University College London. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
13. Davison, C.F.; Hudson, C.N.; Ades, A.E.; Peckham, C.S. (1989). "Antenatal Testing For Human Immunodeficiency Virus". The Lancet. 334 (8677): 1442–1444. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(89)92045-X. PMID 2574370. S2CID 44624057. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
14. Peckham, Catherine A. (26 June 1989). The Peckham Report: National Immunisation Study : Factors Influencing Immunisation Uptake in Childhood. Department of Paediatric Epidemiology, Institute of Child Health. ISBN 9780900931376. Retrieved 26 June 2022 – via Google Books.
15. "BPSU". RCPCH. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
16. "Infectious Diseases: preparing for the future. Executive Summary. Office of Science and Innovation" (PDF). London: Foresight. 2006.
17. Peckham, CS (24 May 2012). "A national study of child development (NCDS 1958 cohort). Preliminary findings in a national sample of 11-year-old children". Proc. R. Soc. Med. 66 (7): 701–3. PMC 1645076. PMID 4741414.
18. "Understanding science: 12: Human Reproduction: Selecting for Life: Scientific Basis and Policy Implications". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
19. "Board Members". ViiV Healthcare. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
20. Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Lords, Westminster. "Lords Hansard text for 6 Nov 200606 Nov 2006 (pt 0002)". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
21. "Place et rôle du Fonds de solidarité thérapeutique international". Pistes.fr. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
22. "Research in developing countries – About the Working Party | Nuffield Council on Bioethics". Nuffieldbioethics.org. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
23. "Medical Research Council – Document library". Mrc.ac.uk. 18 November 2004. Archived from the original on 4 January 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
24. "Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormality in England, Scotland and Wales | Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists". Rcog.org.uk. 25 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.

External links

• Catherine Peckham on the History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group website