MRC Centre for Reproductive Health
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MRC Centre for Reproductive Health
Institute for Regeneration and Repair
Contact us

Dr Jacqueline Maybin

Research interests and current grants.

Dr Jackie Maybin

Contact details

Address

Street

The Queen's Medical Research Institute
Edinburgh BioQuarter
47 Little France Crescent

City
Edinburgh
Post Code
EH16 4TJ

Availability

  • Please note that, due to NHS Lothian IT security policy, I am unable to respond to emails about clinical matters. Please address all clinical matters to my NHS secretary Ms Pam Bell (0131 242 2522).

Research interests

Our mission is to develop preventive and therapeutic strategies for abnormal uterine bleeding (problematic periods). We aim to improve the quality of life of women, which will ultimately benefit wider society.

To achieve this, our clinical team and discovery scientists perform innovative research to enhance understanding of menstruation and associated disorders, collaborate globally, train the next generation of experts and engage with the public.

We have a particular interest in the cause of heavy menstrual bleeding, which has a severe negative impact on the quality of life of many women. We study the physiology and pathology of menstruation to develop new, acceptable treatments for women with heavy periods to minimise the need for fertility removing surgery.

Visit the Healthy Optimal Period for Everyone (HOPE) website

Current research projects

Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship (Stage 2). Maybin JA (PI), Walmsley S, Saunders PKT, Weir C, Carmeliet P, Pollard J, Critchley HOD. Examining physiological hypoxia at menstruation to define the mechanisms that underpin endometrial resilience and heavy menstrual bleeding. £1 107 751. August 2019 to July 2024.

Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Reboot (COVID-19 Impact) Research Grant. Maybin JA (PI). The effect of the menstrual cycle on longer-term symptoms of COVID-19. £24 831.40. May 2021 to Nov 2021.

Wellcome Trust/University of Edinburgh Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF3) award (IS3-R3.11 21/22). Maybin JA. The effect of Long Covid on the menstrual cycle. £23,275. February 2022 to January 2023.

Current Grants

  • Maybin JA, Walmsley S, Saunders PKT, Weir C, Carmeliet P, Pollard J, Critchley HOD. Examining physiological hypoxia at menstruation to define the mechanisms that underpin endometrial resilience and heavy menstrual bleeding. Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship. £1 107 751. August 2019 to August 2024.
  • Maybin JA (PI). The effect of the menstrual cycle on longer-term symptoms of COVID-19. Royal Society of Edinburgh Research Reboot (COVID-19 Impact) Research Grant. £24 831.40. May 2021 to Nov 2021.

Staff/Group members

  • Rocío Martínez Aguilar, Post-doctoral Research Fellow

  • Kate Walker, Research Assistant

  • Clinical Research Nurse

Current PhD/MD students

  • Ms Ailbhe McKinney. Understanding the transition from childhood to adolescence in girls with autism, ADHD and/or DCD. Funder: Medical Sciences & Translational Research PhD with integrated studies in Engagement for Impact. Supervisors: Rhodes S, Maybin JA.
  • Ms Gabriella Goodrich. Understanding the relationship between patient pathways and employment experiences for women managing problematic menstruation. Funder: Scottish Graduate School of Social Science Steers Studentship Competition 2022. Supervisors: Sang K, Maybin JA.
  • Ms Ashmika Motee. Understanding the relationship between patient pathways and employment experiences for women managing problematic menstruation. John B. Kinross Business Scholarship, Mary Kinross Charitable Trust 2022. Supervisors: Sang K, Maybin JA.

Recent Grants

  • Tenovus Scotland Pilot Grant. Maybin JA. The role of hypoxia in miRNA regulation at menstruation to influence menstrual blood loss. £19 644. Sept 2019-May 2020.

  • Wellbeing of Women Project Grant. Maybin JA (PI), Kershaw L (CoI), Mcnaught G (CoI), Critchley HOD (CoI). Does increased endometrial perfusion and lack of hypoxia at menstruation lead to heavy menstrual bleeding? £179 486. July 2016 to June 2019.

  • Wellcome Trust-University of Edinburgh Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF2). Maybin JA (PI). Local administration of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) as a treatment for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB). £8283. August 2015 to August 2016.

  • Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant for Clinical Lecturers, Maybin JA (PI), Critchley HOD (CoI), Webb D (Collaborator), Carmeliet P (Collaborator). Is hypoxia required for hypoxia inducible factor stabilisation at menstruation to drive efficient endometrial repair and limit menstrual blood loss? £29 992. July 2016 to July 2017.

Selected recent publications

  1. Jain V, Chodankar RR, Maybin JA, Critchley HOD. Uterine bleeding: how understanding endometrial physiology underpins menstrual health. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41574-021-00629-4.
  2. Hoppes E, et. al. Global research and learning agenda for building evidence on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes for research, product development, policies, and programs. Gates Open Res. 2022. DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13609.1
  3. Watters M, Walker K, Murray AA, Nicol M, Maybin JA. Uterine miR-877-3p and let-7a-5p are increased during simulated menstruation in a mouse model. Reprod & Fertil. 2022. Research letter. https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-21-0112
  4. Watters M, Martinez Aguilar R, Maybin JA. The Menstrual Endometrium: From Physiology to Future Treatments. Front Reprod Health, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2021.794352.
  5. Sharp GC, Fraser A, Sawyer G, Kountourides G, Easey KE, Ford G, Olszewska Z, Howe LD, Lawlor DA, Alvergne A, Maybin JA. The COVID-19 pandemic and the menstrual cycle: research gaps and opportunities. International Journal Epidemiology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyab239
  6. Reavey J, Walker C, Murray AA, Brito-Mutunayagam S, Sweeney S, Nicol M, Cambursano A, Critchley HO and Maybin JA. Obesity is associated with heavy menstruation that may be due to delayed endometrial repair. J of Endocrinol. 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/JOE-20-0446.
  7. Reavey JJ, Walker C, Nicol M, Murray A, Critchley HOD, Kershaw LE and Maybin JA. Markers of human endometrial hypoxia can be detected in vivo and ex vivo during physiological menstruation. Hum Reprod. 2021. doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deaa379.
  8. Critchley HOD, Maybin JA, Armstrong G, Williams A. Physiology of the endometrium and regulation of menstruation. Physiol Rev. 2020 Jul 1;100(3):1149-1179. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00031.
  9. Martinez Aguilar R, Kershaw LE, Reavey JJ, Critchley HOD and Maybin JA. The presence and role of hypoxia in the endometrium. Reproduction, 2020, DOI: 10.1530/REP-20-0268.
  10. Maybin JA, Murray A, Hirani N, Saunders P, Carmeliet P, Critchley H. Hypoxia and hypoxia inducible factor-1 are required for normal endometrial repair at menstruation. Nat Commun, 2018, Jan 23;9(1):295. DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-02375-6.

Lab media

Recent awards

  • Society for Reproduction and Fertility New Investigator Award, 2018
  • Election to the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland, 2018
  • Society for Endocrinology Prize Clinical Lectureship 2017, British Endocrine Society, 2017

Current external activities

  • RSE Young academy of Scotland Grand Challenge Lead for ‘Ending Health Inequalities’.
  • Early Career Editorial Board Member at ‘Physiological Reviews’ American Physiological Society.
  • Associate Editor of ‘Reproduction’ Bioscientifica.
  • Associate Editor at ‘Frontiers in Reproductive Health (Gynecology)’.
  • Faculty Member at Faculty Opinions (Menstrual Abnormalities and Abnormal Uterine Bleeding).
  • Member of the 2021 FHI 360 global, multidisciplinary Contraceptive Induced Menstrual Changes Task Force to develop a global research and learning agenda.
  • Member of the RCOG Blair Bell Academic Committee.

Principle Collaborators

Internal:

Professor Hilary Critchley

Professor Philippa Saunders

Dr Douglas Gibson

Professor Alastair Williams

Professor Neil Roberts

Dr Sinead Rhodes

Professor Sarah Walmsley

External:

Professor Peter Carmeliet

Professor Kate Sang

Dr Gemma Sharp

Dr Alex Alvergne

 

Links

Healthy Optimal Periods for Everyone www.ed.ac.uk/hope

‘Typical and problem periods’ animation in collaboration with Cloud Chamber studios. Funded by ISSF3 public engagement with research seed fund.

 

 

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