Luisa Zuccolo
- Research Group Leader, Zuccolo Group
Dr. Luisa Zuccolo is an epidemiologist with expertise in causal inference applied to population health. Following her first degree in Physics, she obtained a Fellowship from the University of Turin, Italy, in Cancer Epidemiology and Surveillance. She then moved to the University of Bristol (UK) and was awarded a pre-doctoral Fellowship from the UK Medical Research Council to complete an MSc in Epidemiology (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) and a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology with Prof. George Davey Smith (University of Bristol). She was then awarded a second MRC Fellowship in Population Health Science and Epidemiology, after which, in 2018, she secured a tenured position at the University of Bristol. Dr. Zuccolo’s past research includes the causal effects of alcohol on health, in particular of prenatal alcohol exposure, using methods and designs that improve causal inference. More recently, she has focussed on maternal and child health, researching barriers to and effects of prolonged breastfeeding, the impact of COVID-19 on fertility and pregnancy outcomes, and misinformation around public health messaging on social media.
Publications
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10/2024 - The Lancet Regional Health: Europe
COVID-19 diagnosis, vaccination during pregnancy, and adverse pregnancy outcomes of 865,654 women in England and Wales: a population-based cohort study
Background The extent to which COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination during pregnancy are associated with risks of common and rare adverse pregnancy outcomes remains uncertain. We compared the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with and without COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination during pregnancy. Methods We studied population-scale linked electronic health records for women with singleton […]
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08/2024 - The Lancet Regional Health: Europe
COVID-19 vaccination and birth outcomes of 186,990 women vaccinated before pregnancy: an England-wide cohort study
Background COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy is recommended by the World Health Organisation as effective and safe. However, there remains a lack of robust evidence to inform vaccination choices for women of childbearing potential in relation to their future pregnancies. Here we investigated the association between starting a course of COVID-19 vaccination before pregnancy and birth […]
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08/2024 - Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research
Trends in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder research: A bibliometric review of original articles published between 2000 and 2023
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disability globally. International organizations have highlighted an urgent need for improved prevention, diagnosis, and support. However, the evidence base needed to inform this is thought to be limited. We conducted two complementary reviews to (i) describe trends in the volume and characteristics of original […]
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06/2024 - JMIR Infodemiology
Analyzing Questions About Alcohol in Pregnancy Using Web-Based Forum Topics: Qualitative Content Analysis
Background:Prenatal alcohol exposure represents a substantial public health concern as it may lead to detrimental outcomes, including pregnancy complications and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Although UK national guidance recommends abstaining from alcohol if pregnant or planning a pregnancy, evidence suggests that confusion remains on this topic among members of the public, and little is known […]