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£1.8m boost for life-saving maternity technology as University of Liverpool launches Women’s Health Innovation Studio

  • Jun 5
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 9


The University of Liverpool has secured £1.8 million in funding to accelerate the development of life-saving women’s health technologies, alongside the launch of a new Women’s Health Innovation (WIN) Studio aimed at tackling long-standing inequalities in female healthcare.

The initiative, announced on 5 June 2026, is largely funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), which has provided £1.5 million, with additional investment from the University itself.

Focus on maternal health and postpartum haemorrhage

At the centre of the programme is a major research effort to evaluate a new medical device designed to treat postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), one of the leading causes of maternal death globally.

The device, known as the PPH Butterfly, is designed to rapidly control excessive bleeding after birth, potentially offering a faster and simpler intervention in emergency maternity care situations.

Researchers say the project will involve a multi-centre clinical trial across the UK and international feasibility studies to assess how the technology performs in real-world clinical settings.

WIN Studio aims to close the women’s health gap

Alongside the device trial, the University has formally launched the Women’s Health Innovation (WIN) Studio, a dedicated platform focused on developing and scaling technologies that address conditions affecting women across their lifespan.

The Studio is designed to support innovations ranging from pregnancy-related complications to conditions such as endometriosis and menopause, as well as diseases that present differently in women but are historically under-researched.

According to the University, the WIN Studio will act as a “pre-accelerator”, providing clinical expertise, regulatory guidance, and commercial support to help early-stage ideas progress into viable healthcare solutions.

Addressing long-standing inequality in women’s health

Researchers involved in the initiative say women’s health has historically been underfunded and under-prioritised within medical innovation systems.

Dr Teesta Dey, who is leading the PPH Butterfly project, said the aim is to “reconfigure how health technologies are conceived and delivered”, highlighting that many current systems have not been designed with women’s specific needs in mind.

The WIN Studio will also incorporate patient and public involvement networks, ensuring that women’s lived experiences directly inform research priorities and product development.

Wider collaboration across NHS and global partners

The programme will be delivered in partnership with NHS University Hospitals Liverpool Group, including Liverpool Women’s Hospital, one of the largest specialist maternity centres in the UK.

International collaboration is also central to the project, with research links spanning institutions in Uganda, Nigeria, India and Tanzania, reflecting the global burden of maternal health inequalities.

Liverpool as a centre for women’s health innovation

University leaders say Liverpool has been strategically chosen due to its existing clinical infrastructure and its focus on tackling regional health inequalities.

Women in Liverpool and surrounding areas continue to experience poorer health outcomes compared with national averages, making the city a key site for testing innovations aimed at reducing disparities in care.

Why this matters

Globally, postpartum haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal mortality, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year. The University of Liverpool’s initiative aims to improve both prevention and emergency response, particularly in resource-limited healthcare settings.

Beyond maternity care, the WIN Studio represents a broader shift towards designing healthcare systems that better reflect female biology, reproductive health needs, and long-term conditions that disproportionately affect women.

Conclusion

The £1.8 million investment marks a significant step in the UK’s efforts to improve women’s health outcomes through targeted innovation and research translation.

By combining clinical trials, technological development, and patient-centred design, the University of Liverpool’s WIN Studio aims to move women’s health from a historically under-resourced area into a leading frontier of medical innovation.

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