Dr Sarah Church

I joined LSBU in 2015 as a Reader in midwifery in a joint appointment with Barts Health NHS Trust having previously worked at the University of Northampton. At LSBU I have held management and leadership positions: Head of Midwifery Division (2020-2022), Associate Dean for Research & Enterprise (2022-2024) and Postgraduate Research Director (2022-2026). Currently Deputy Academic Lead LSBU Doctoral College and Associate Professor Midwifery. 

I have achieved a Masters in Research from the University of Manchester and hold a PhD in Midwifery from the Open University which focused on gender identity and explored the reproductive identities and experiences of midwives and mothers. 

Having started my career as a Registered General Nurse (RGN) and then a Registered Midwife (RM), I have gained extensive experience across clinical practice, research, education and leadership. With over 25 years in midwifery education, I have been a External subject specialist panel member for NMC validation and Periodic Subject Reviews and led curriculum development for undergraduate and postgraduate courses.  I have served as Lead Midwife for Education on two separate occasions and have also held the role of NMC Official Correspondent.

My research interests fall within the areas of women’s sexual and reproductive health, rights and maternity care; exploring issues from the perspective of student midwives is a particular focus which identifies educational and professional areas for exploration and development.

 I have an active academic collaboration with Professor Serap Apay at Atatürk University, Turkey. We have collaborated on two specific studies which focus on ethical challenges (Apay et.al. 2020) and maternal health literacy (Church et.al. 2023) funded by a successful application to the Global Challenge Research Funding 2019-2021 (£11k). Further research proposals in development, with two journal papers under review. 

A particular area of interest is the way in which an enterprise framework (EntreComp Framework 2016) based on entrepreneurial competencies, can support students to build confidence to articulate their skills and experience to effect leadership, and act as innovators and change agents in the maternity services. I am the first midwife to be awarded an Academic Fellowship from Enterprise Educators UK and have been awarded the Richard Beresford Developmental Bursary Winter 2024 to complete further work in the area of entrepreneurial mindset.https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/stories/dr.-sarah-church-eeuk-academic-enterprise-fellowship-award-recipient

As a result, I completed the Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator Training with the entrepreneurial mindset initiative which has supported my development and delivery of the first Certificate of Enterprise in Midwifery for student midwives at LSBU. This was submitted to the London Higher Awards 2024 in the category Best Entrepreneurial initiative at a London University.  In 2025 my paper on 'Integrating entrepreneurial mindset education into a midwifery curriculum' was accepted for the 20th European Conference in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ECIE) Conference in Poland https://papers.academic-conferences.org/index.php/ecie/issue/view/51/83

Further recognition in this area was achieved when I was invited to be a judge for the National Enterprise Educator Awards (NEEA) for 2025 https://neea.org.uk/categories-and-awards/2025-neea-shortlists

I am a partner in Scaling Higher Education Innovation using the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project (SHINE) project, an international community of practice for entrepreneurial mindset.  

TEACHING

I teach across BSc (Hons) Pre-registration midwifery and Postgraduate Diploma Midwifery modules, specifically, perinatal mental health, leadership, research and evidence, quality, service improvement methodology and enterprise and entrepreneurial mindset.

INTERNATIONAL CONTRIBUTION

I am internationally recognised. I was a member of the Research Standing Committee of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM)(2017-2021).

My first co-edited book ‘New Thinking on Improving Maternity Care: International Perspectives’ was published by Pinter and Martin in 2016 and evolved from the first COST Action ISO907 "Childbirth Cultures, Concerns, and Consequences: Creating a dynamic EU framework for optimal maternity care.”  Involvement in a subsequent COST Action has led to work on the social cultural context of midwifery care in the Czech Republic https://eubirthresearch.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/stsm-report-czech-republic27041.pdf

PUBLICATIONS AND EDITORIAL POSITIONS

I have authored over 30 peer reviewed papers, eight book chapters supported by editorial experience. I was a  member of the International editorial Board of the Journal of Advanced Nursing (2021-2025); Editorial board member of the Journal of Midwifery & Reproductive Health (University of Mashad, Iran) and member of the editorial board for the European Journal of Midwifery. I am the Assistant editor for the Journal of Midwifery & Health Sciences published by Atatürk University, Turkey.

DOCTORAL SUPERVISION AND EDUCATION

I currently hold the role of Deputy Academic Lead for the Doctoral College. I am an experienced doctoral supervisor and examiner with six completions (two pending) and eight examinations (two pending), supervising seven current students.

I am a member of the UKCGE Doctoral Deans and Directors Network and the Research Supervisors Network. Nationally I am a member of the DHSC Programme Leaders in Professional Doctorate in Healthcare. In 2024 I co-authored the LSBU Professional Doctorate Framework and currently developing a new Professional Doctorate Programme in Health & Social Care. 

Internal Memberships

Member of the Enterprising Academics Forum

Member of the School Ethics Committee (Students & Staff)

Member of the Researcher Development Group

Member of the Health and Wellbeing Research Centre - Academics group

External Memberships

Member of DHSC Programme leaders Professional Doctorate (National Group) 

Member of Doctoral Deans and Directors’ Network. UKCGE

Member of Research Supervisors Network. UKCGE

Member of Entrepreneurial Mindset Network

Partner in Scaling Higher Education Innovation using the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project (SHINE) (Entrepreneurial Mindset Network)