Barbra de Vrijer, MD, FRCSC
Associate Professor | Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Western University
Publications
Bio Sketch
Dr. Barbra de Vrijer is a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist, clinician-scientist, and educator whose work focuses on improving outcomes for high-risk pregnancies through both clinical innovation and interdisciplinary research. She is currently the Division Head of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at London Health Sciences Centre and an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Western University. She also holds appointments as an Associate Scientist at both the Children’s Health Research Institute and the Lawson Health Research Institute.
Since joining the MFM team in London in 2006, Dr. de Vrijer has developed a robust clinical practice and led several innovations in maternal care. In 2011, she co-founded the "MY" Clinic (Maternal & You) with Dr. Debbie Penava, a specialized multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to optimizing pregnancy outcomes in individuals with obesity. The clinic integrates prenatal health services, ultrasound, labour and delivery planning, and postpartum follow-up through personalized care pathways.
Her research focuses on the abnormal uterine environment and its effects on fetal development, with particular emphasis on maternal obesity, placental health, inflammation, and the maternal microbiome. Dr. de Vrijer leads a multidisciplinary Pregnancy Research Group and continues to advance translational research that connects clinical findings to improved maternal-fetal outcomes.
Dr. de Vrijer is also a Co-Investigator on the PARTUM Trial (Postpartum Aspirin to Reduce Thromboembolism Undue Morbidity), a major national clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of low-dose aspirin in preventing postpartum venous thromboembolism (VTE) among at-risk patients. The trial is led by Dr. Krista Skeith, the Principal Investigator, and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) with a total grant of around $4,600,000. This significant study represents an important step toward evidence-based postpartum care and reducing maternal morbidity in Canada.
In addition to her research and clinical leadership, Dr. de Vrijer is actively involved in mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows, and contributes to the ongoing development of maternal-fetal medicine as both a clinician and an educator.
Research
Dr. de Vrijer received her research training in fetoplacental transport and metabolism at the internationally acclaimed Perinatal Research Centre, University of Colorado Health Sciences Centre. Working with Drs. Fred Battaglia, Giacomo Meschia and Timothy Regnault, she received excellent training in fetoplacental physiology and in vivo research on placental transport and metabolism of amino acids in fetal growth restriction. She currently specializes in the abnormal uterine environment and its effects on the fetus, with a focus on the adverse effects of maternal obesity. Dr. de Vrijer has initiated a multidisciplinary clinical Pregnancy Research Group and is establishing herself as a leading research clinician in the field of pregnancy, specializing in the obese population, with current work on imaging, markers of inflammation, and the microbiome.
With the Pregnancy Research Group, Dr. de Vrijer conducts clinical research focusing on better identification of maternal risk factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcome, detection of abnormal fetal metabolism and placental function, with the goal to improve pregnancy outcome and long term consequences of abnormal intrauterine environment such as childhood obesity and diabetes. Some examples of the Pregnancy Research Group’s research include:
- Development and application of novel MRI-based technologies to contribute to our understanding and ability to detect abnormal metabolism inside the womb
- Assessment of maternal cardiovascular health and determination of its clinical utility for pregnancies in women with high BMI, using Pulse Wave Velocity
- Investigation of changes in metabolic and inflammatory markers, decorin levels and placental autophagy in patients with obesity and/or preeclampsia
- Investigation of the effect of maternal obesity, mode of delivery and preventative use of antibiotics for Group B streptococci on the early development of the infant’s microbiota
- Assessment of women’s and clinicians’ experiences with pregnancy care for women with obesity, participation in clinical research, prenatal testing and future health of the baby
