Dr Rachael Wood
Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Honorary Reader

Address
- Street
-
Public Health Scotland
Gyle Square
1 South Gyle Crescent - City
- Post code
- EH12 9EB
Background
Dr Wood works across the NHS and the University of Edinburgh. Within the NHS, Dr Wood is a Consultant in Public Health Medicine in Public Health Scotland. Within the University, she is an Honorary Reader in the Usher Institute.
Within Public Health Scotland, Dr Wood focuses on maternal and child health, and is inaugural director of Scotland's national congenital anomaly register (CARDRISS). Her role involves development of national data, overseeing national statistics publications, providing information to support health policy and service development and evaluation, and supporting the use of Public Health Scotland data for research purposes.
Within the University, Dr Wood conducts research on maternal and child public health. She has particular topic interests in congenital anomalies and child development. She has particular methodological interests in the use of routine administrative data for research.
Prior to her current roles, Dr Wood held a CSO Clinical Academic Training Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh from 2007 to 2011. During her fellowship she undertook a PhD examining changes made to Scotland’s child health programme in 2005. Dr Wood graduated in Medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 1993.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science, University of Edinburgh
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Edinburgh
Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, DTM&H
Diploma in Child Health, DCH
Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Master of Public Health, University of Glasgow
Membership of the Faculty of Public Health, MFPH
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Edinburgh. Changing child health surveillance in Scotland: an exploration of the impact on preventive health care of pre-school children.
Responsibilities & affiliations
Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health
Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Research summary
Dr Wood’s research focuses on maternal and child public health. She has particular topic interests in congenital anomalies and child development. She has particular methodological interests in the use of routine administrative data for research.
Affiliated research centres
Research activities
-
A population-based matched cohort study of early pregnancy outcomes following COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection
In:
Nature Communications
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33937-y
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
Pregnancy outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in Delta and Omicron dominant periods in Scotland: A population-based cohort study
In:
The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00360-5
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Published) -
BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination uptake, safety, effectiveness and waning in children and young people aged 12-17 years in Scotland
In:
The Lancet Regional Health Europe, vol. 23, pp. 100513
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2022.100513
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (E-pub ahead of print) -
SARS-CoV-2 tests, confirmed infections and COVID-19 related hospital admissions in children and young people: birth cohort study
In:
BMJ Paediatrics Open
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Accepted/In press) -
Severe maternal morbidity in Scotland
In:
Anaesthesia: Peri-operative medicine, critical care and pain
Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article (Accepted/In press)