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Professor Jenny M Higham

Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine Centre

Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 5819
Email: Email address for Professor Jenny M Higham

Professor Jenny M Higham

Professor Jenny Higham is Vice Dean and Director of Education in the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College. The Faculty of Medicine is the largest of the academic groupings within the College, and employs over 2,300 staff with a turnover in excess of £220million. As Vice Dean, Professor Higham works closely with the Dean and senior Faculty management team to define and deliver its strategic objectives.

She was Head of Undergraduate Medicine from 2006 and was promoted to Director of Education in 2009, retaining this title alongside that of Vice Dean.

Singapore

Professor Higham was at the forefront of negotiations and for the creation of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore, a joint medical school of Imperial College London and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is now leading planning for its launch. She is a member of the Governing Board and she also chairs the Imperial Project Board responsible for ensuring the course is ready for the first student admission in 2013 and the continuing success of this 18 year relationship.

Research

Her research has focused on reproductive medicine and, more latterly, on education. She developed a new method of menstrual blood loss assessment (Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart) which has changed research practice. Original work on abnormal menstrual bleeding developed her reputation as a widely recognised expert, contributing to national and international definitions. Research in Imperial’s Uterine Biology Group focused on endometrial function.

Education publications in journals including Medical Education and British Medical Journal have been on topics such as curriculum development, mapping core competencies and electronic learning. Published work on hybrid and enhanced simulation has involved collaborations with both engineers and veterinary medicine.

She continues to have clinical responsibilities as a Consultant Surgical Gynaecologist at St Mary’s Campus, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She has particular clinical expertise in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding, outpatient hysteroscopy and reproductive surgery.

Professor Higham is a board member of the Local Education and Training Board (LETB) in North West London, having contributed to the NWL LETB delivery group. She is a Non-Executive Director of West Middlesex University Hospital and a Governor of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. She is an Imperial representative at the Medical Schools Council and is a member of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School Joint Board.

In November 2011, Professor Higham was awarded the 'Mentor of the Year' award at the Women of the Future Awards.

Selected Publications

Journals

Hickey M; Higham JM; Fraser I. (1 Jan 2012). Progestogens with or without oestrogen for irregular uterine bleeding associated with anovulation. COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS. . Author weblink DOI.
Nestel D; Tabak D; Tierney T; Layat-Burn C; Robb A; Clark S; Morrison T; Jones N; et alEllis R; Smith C; McNaughton N; Knickle K; Higham J; Kneebone R. (25 Sep 2011). Key challenges in simulated patient programs: An international comparative case study. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION. 11. Author weblink DOI.
Vallance A; Higham J. (May 2011). A toolkit to meet Tomorrow's Doctors standards. Med Educ. 45:508. Author weblink DOI.
Al-Sabbagh M; Fusi L; Higham J; Lee Y; Lei K; Hanyaloglu AC; Lam EW-F; Christian M; et alBrosens JJ. (1 Mar 2011). NADPH Oxidase-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Decidualization of Human Endometrial Stromal Cells in Response to Cyclic AMP Signaling. REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES. 18:162A-162A. Author weblink.
Low-Beer N; Kinnison T; Baillie S; Bello F; Kneebone R; Higham J. (Jan 2011). Hidden practice revealed: using task analysis and novel simulator design to evaluate the teaching of digital rectal examination. Am J Surg. 201:46-53. Author weblink DOI.
Higham J. (1 Jan 2011). Key Concepts for Understanding Curriculum, 4th edition. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES. 59:96-96. Author weblink.
Al-Sabbagh M; Fusi L; Higham J; Lee Y; Lei K; Hanyaloglu AC; Lam EW; Christian M; et alBrosens JJ. (Feb 2011). NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species mediate decidualization of human endometrial stromal cells in response to cyclic AMP signaling. Endocrinology. 152:730-740. Author weblink DOI.
Low-Beer N; Lupton M; Higham J. (Nov 2010). A novel method of defining the core objectives of a specialty undergraduate curriculum. Med Educ. 44:1120. Author weblink DOI.
Cloke B; Shah K; Kaneda H; Lavery S; Trew G; Fusi L; Higham J; Dina RE; et alGhaem-Maghami S; Ellis P; Brosens JJ; Christian M. (1 Aug 2010). The Poly(C)-Binding Protein-1 Regulates Expression of the Androgen Receptor. ENDOCRINOLOGY. 151:3954-3964. Author weblink DOI.
Nestel D; Clark S; Tabak D; Ashwell V; Muir E; Paraskevas P; Higham J. (1 Jun 2010). Defining Responsibilities of Simulated Patients in Medical Education. SIMULATION IN HEALTHCARE. 5:161-168. Author weblink DOI.
Higham JM; Nestel D; Lupton M; Kneebone R. (Dec 2007). Teaching and learning gynaecology examination with hybrid simulation. The Clinical Teacher. 4:238-243. Publisher weblink DOI.
Hickey M; Higham J; Fraser IS. (2007). Progestogens versus oestrogens and progestogens for irregular uterine bleeding associated with anovulation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. CD001895. Author weblink DOI.
Kajihara T; Jones M; Fusi L; Takano M; Feroze-Zaidi F; Pirianov G; Mehmet H; Ishihara O; et alHigham JM; Lam EW; Brosens JJ. (Oct 2006). Differential expression of FOXO1 and FOXO3a confers resistance to oxidative cell death upon endometrial decidualization. Mol Endocrinol. 20:2444-2455. Author weblink DOI.
Higham J. (May 2006). How can we make our medical students enthusiastic about a future in obstetrics and gynaecology?. BJOG. 113:499-501. Author weblink DOI.
Labied S; Kajihara T; Madureira PA; Fusi L; Jones MC; Higham JM; Varshochi R; Francis JM; et alZoumpoulidou G; Essafi A; Fernandez de Mattos S; Lam EW; Brosens JJ. (Jan 2006). Progestins regulate the expression and activity of the forkhead transcription factor FOXO1 in differentiating human endometrium. Mol Endocrinol. 20:35-44. Author weblink DOI.
Higham J; Steer PJ. (17 Jan 2004). Gender gap in undergraduate experience and performance in obstetrics and gynaecology: analysis of clinical experience logs. BMJ. 328:142-143. Author weblink DOI.
Hickey M; Pillai G; Higham JM; Sullivan M; Horncastle D; Doherty D; Stamp G. (May 2003). Changes in endometrial blood vessels in the endometrium of women with hormone replacement therapy-related irregular bleeding. Hum Reprod. 18:1100-1106. Author weblink.
Dheenadayalu K; Mak I; Gordts S; Campo R; Higham J; Puttemans P; White J; Christian M; et alFusi L; Brosens J. (Oct 2002). Aromatase P450 messenger RNA expression in eutopic endometrium is not a specific marker for pelvic endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 78:825-829. Author weblink.
Hickey M; Higham J; Sullivan M; Miles L; Fraser IS. (Feb 2001). Endometrial bleeding in hormone replacement therapy users: preliminary findings regarding the role of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs. Fertil Steril. 75:288-296. Author weblink.
Venkat-Raman N; Murphy KW; Ghaus K; Teoh TG; Higham JM; Carvalho JS. (Jan 2001). Congenital absence of portal vein in the fetus: a case report. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 17:71-75. Author weblink DOI.
Hickey M; Higham JM; Sullivan M. (1 Jun 2000). Mechanisms of irregular bleeding in HRT users: the roles of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors in vascular damage. HUMAN REPRODUCTION. 15:79-79. Author weblink.
Higham JM; Shaw RW. (Nov 1993). A comparative study of danazol, a regimen of decreasing doses of danazol, and norethindrone in the treatment of objectively proven unexplained menorrhagia. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 169:1134-1139. Author weblink.

Conferences

Cloke B; Shah K; Kaneda H; Lavery S; Trew G; Fusi L; Higham J; Dina R; et alGhaem-Maghami S; Ellis P; Christian M; Brosens J. The Poly(C)-binding protein PCBP1 regulates the expression of the androgen receptor in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells. 26th Annual Meeting of ESHRE, 27 Jun 2010 - 30 Jun 2010. 25:I70-I71. OXFORD UNIV PRESS (1 Jun 2010). Author weblink.
Kajihara T; Ishihara O; Fusi L; Higham JM; Brosens JJ. FOXO3a inhibition confers resistance to apoptosis induced by oxidative stress in decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells. 22nd Annual Meeting of the European-Society-of-Human-Reproduction-and-Embryology, 18 Jun 2006 - 21 Jun 2006. 21:I186-I186. OXFORD UNIV PRESS (1 Jun 2006). Author weblink.
Heeps A; Crouch N; Backos M; Brosens J; Higham J; Rai R; Regan L. Successful prevention of second trimester pregnancy loss using high cervical cerclage. 53rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society-for-Gynecologic-Investigation. 13:333A-333A. (Feb 2006).

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