Professor Jean Calleja-Agius graduated as a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Malta in 1999. She further specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, both locally and at University College London Hospital (UCLH). She obtained her Memberships of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, on her first attempt in 2005. From an early stage in her career, Professor Calleja-Agius showed a keen interest in research and teaching on all aspects of anatomy, particularly embryology and reproductive sciences. She was appointed as Assistant Lecturer in 2000, and since then has been teaching medical students, post-graduate trainees and other health professionals. She organised the first Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) UK in Malta in July 2011 for training obstetricians and midwives. She obtained a distinction in her MSc in Clinical Embryology at the University of Leeds, under the supervision of Prof Helen Picton. She has numerous peer-reviewed research articles published in international high impact journals. She obtained her PhD (without corrections) at University College London (UCL) in February 2012. The title of her thesis is 'The Role of Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Cytokines in Early Pregnancy'. Her research involved investigation of the association between systemic and placental cytokines and miscarriages in human pregnancy. Her research supervisors were Professor Eric Jauniaux (UCL) and Dr Shanthi Muttukrishna (UCL/UCC), and the PhD examiners were Prof Lesley Regan from Imperial College (London) and Prof Siobhan Quenby from University of Warwick, who are all world authorities in the field of miscarriages and pregnancy complications. The current research interests of Prof Calleja-Agius are embryology and reproductive medicine, particularly recurrent miscarriages and infertility.
Prizes: 2012: Best Abstract, 15th ISGE Congress, Florence 2010: Best Abstract in Under-34 Competition, 14th ISGE Congress, Florence 2009: Green Armytage Travel Bursary (RCOG) 2008: Overseas Fund Travel Award (RCOG) 2007: Travel Award for the 31st British International Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2006: Ethicon Travel Award (RCOG) 2005: Chancellor's Award (UOM) 2003: Best Oral Presentation 5th Maltese Medical School Conference
- National representative for the project entitled: “Speech, Communication and Resilience support for families with children with clefts” (SCR4Cleft) – Grant agreement 2019-1-NL01- KA202-060281 awarded September 2019.
- National representative for the project entitled: “Body Confident Mum’s – An Innovative Health Professionals Training Program to support maternal mental and physical health” (BCM) – Grant agreement 2019-1-SE01-KA202-060422 awarded September 2019.
Collaboration on Science and Technology (COST):
- European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care (ECCE) – CA16234. I am the Chairperson of WG2 and have organised a Training School in Malta on the Patient Perspective and the role of the Multidisciplinary Team in cleft lip care.
- Perinatal Mental Health and Birth-Related Trauma: Maximising best practice and optimal outcomes (DEVoTION)- CA18211. I am an active member of the Management Committee.
- European network for Gynaecological Rare Cancer research: From Concept to Cure (GYNOCARE) – CA18117 - I am an active member of the Management Committee.
Since 2013, I am the national representative in the European IVF Monitoring Group (EIM) as part of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and are involved in the collection and publication of IVF data.
National Collaborations:
In October 2019, I have been awarded a 25k Euro research grant by Lifecycle Malta inorder to investigate the genetics of polycystic kidney disease, in collaboration with Mater Dei Hospital, Malta.
Patent application in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering at UM on a novel surgical tool for use in thyroid surgery.
Past Collaborations:
- Building Intrapartum research through health (BIRTH) - IS1405. I was also the Vice- chairperson of WG1 and have organised a conference in Malta in November 2018 on the Salutogenesis of Normal Childbirth.
- Action to Focus and Accelerate Cell-based Tolerance-inducing Therapies (A FACTT) – BM1305.
- European Network for Human Congenital Imprinting Disorders (ENTIRE) - BM1208 Action.
- I was the National Project Leader for the EU Joint Action “Good Practices on Donation, Collection, Testing, Processing, Storage and Distribution of Gametes for Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Haematopoietic Stem Cells for Transplantation (ARTHIQS)” – Agreement number 20132101 (2014-2018).
