Dr Camilla Nykjaer

Profile

I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Public Health Nutrition from Leeds Beckett University in 2009 before completing an MSc in Nutrition, Obesity & Health at the University of Leeds in 2011. I remained at the University of Leeds, and completed a PhD with the School of Food Science & Nutrition, examining the association between maternal dietary patterns in pregnancy and offspring growth. Following this I was employed as a Teaching Fellow in Research Design and Statistical Analyses with the School of Biomedical Sciences (2015-2017). I was appointed a Lecturer in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health in 2017 and Deputy Programme Leader for the now well-established MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine (2017-2020), which I co-developed. I am currently Programme Leader of the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine as well as the online PGCert in Musculoskeletal Medicine. 

Responsibilities

• Programme Leader MSc Sport and Exercise Medicine
• Academic Programme Leader PGCert Musculoskeletal Medicine (online)

Research interests

My research focuses on improving maternal health through lifestyle behaviors, particularly physical activity, during and after pregnancy. I am passionate about making maternity care during these key life stages accessible and inclusive for all birthing people and new parents. As an Honorary Research Fellow at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) and a member of the Leeds Maternal Healthy Weight steering group, I work closely with Leeds City Council, Leeds Integrated Care Board, and LTHT and I support several of their initiatives to boost physical activity during the perinatal period. I have extensive experience in mixed-methods research, community interventions, feasibility studies, and systematic and scoping literature reviews.

Current projects

Some projects I'm currently working on are listed below. 

Bump and Baby Fit 

I am currently involved in the 'Bump and Baby Fit' programme, which aims to enhance pregnancy and postpartum wellbeing and physical health in women at risk of developing gestational diabetes (GDM). This programme offers free physical activity classes in local community and leisure centres in disadvantaged areas of Leeds.

Developed by Leeds Integrated Care Board and Active Leeds in collaboration with the University of Leeds, the programme is based on evidence that lifestyle interventions in early pregnancy can reduce the incidence of GDM by up to 30%. The classes, hosted in areas with higher rates of GDM, include a mixture of low-impact yoga exercises, such as stretches and breathing exercises.

My research within this project explores participants’ physical health, activity levels, and mental wellbeing, as well as the barriers that could prevent them from continuing with interventions like the 'Bump and Baby Fit' programme.

Athena 

Athena is an enhanced midwifery care pathway for pregnant people in Leeds with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or more at booking. Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust's maternity services have been experiencing a sustained year-on-year increase in women booking their pregnancy with a BMI of 40 or above, putting them at higher risk of experiencing poor outcomes such as babies born small for gestational age, large for gestational age, stillbirth, miscarriage, gestational diabetes, assisted birth, caesarean, postpartum depression, and postpartum hemorrhage.

The Athena pathway was created to address the need for a more personalised care pathway for this population of pregnant people and has been ongoing since October 2023. The pathway includes midwife-led ‘Active Conversations’ with patients about healthy lifestyle choices, specifically diet and movement, one-to-one well-being support, birth plan advice and infant feeding support. 

My support within this project focuses on three key areas: 1) the development of accessible and engaging digital resources aimed at empowering midwives and midwifery support workers to offer evidence-based weight advice to patients, 2) evaluating the potential impact on the patient experience, and 3) assessing the impact of the enhanced care pathway on participants' behaviour and knowledge around physical activity and diet.

My First 1000 Days 

I lead the physical activity workstream of the University of Leeds flagship project My First 1000 Days, which aims to enhance the health and long-term outcomes of families in Leeds. 

Discover more about the physical activity workstream in this below video from the project launch.

Enhancing access to maternity care using Wellbeing Pods in community hubs and libraries

I am part of a project addressing the challenges faced by birthing people and new parents in deprived areas in accessing maternity care. Those from low economic backgrounds are ten times more likely to experience stillbirth, making access to quality maternity care crucial.

To tackle this, Leeds City Council, Leeds Health Partnership, and the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board have set up ‘Wellbeing Pods’ in community hubs and libraries. These pods aim to reach individuals who find clinical spaces uncomfortable or inaccessible. In this project, we are investigating the experiences of stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Wellbeing Pods to assess whether access and engagement with maternity services has improved. Additionally, we explore the impact on engagement with other services available in the community hubs and libraries (e.g. benefits advice, digital skills development, employment support, health and wellbeing support).

Our research involves collecting data through online surveys, focus groups and interviews to understand the use, acceptability, demand, and practicality of the Wellbeing Pods. The findings will help health and care commissioners decide on the future of this initiative and adapt maternity services based on feedback, demonstrating the impact of community-based care options, and providing patients with choices concerning where and how they access care.

Media 

I am media trained and have appeared on a number of different media outlets talking about my research. Links to some of my news appearances and press releases can be found below.

• Enhancing access to maternity care using Wellbeing Pods in community hubs and libraries
• My First 1000 Days: A feasibility study of centering-based group care to improve physical, psychological, developmental, and social outcomes of caregivers and infants

Qualifications

• Honorary Research Fellow; Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (2024)
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy; University of Leeds/Higher Education Academy (2020)
• PhD Nutritional Epidemiology; University of Leeds (2017)
• MSc Nutrition, Obesity and Health; University of Leeds (2011)
• BSc Public Health Nutrition; Leeds Beckett University (2009)

Professional memberships

• British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine

Student education

I am currently programme leader for the MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine and the PGCert in Musculoskeletal Medicine, and sit on our Student Taught Student Education Committee (STSEC).  In addition I contribute to modules across all degree programmes within the School of Biomedical Sciences (BMS), teaching research skills and statistics across all levels including Level 5. I manage modules at level 3 and 5, supervise BSc and MSc project students, and act as an academic personal tutor to students across all levels.

Research groups and institutes

• Physical Activity and Public Health
• Sport and Exercise Sciences
• Cardiovascular