Donati Serena

Background

About Donati Serena

After beginning my career in clinical practice as a gynecologist and obstetrician, I chose to fully dedicate myself to public health research, with a specific focus on maternal and perinatal health epidemiology. I am currently Research Director at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) in Rome, where I lead the Unit for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health within the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.My research focuses on the epidemiology of uncomplicated pregnancy and the identification of determinants of severe maternal outcomes, including maternal mortality and severe morbidity. I have a particular interest in care-related factors and the quality of obstetric and maternal care, with the overarching goal of identifying areas for improvement to reduce adverse events and prevent avoidable outcomes.I have coordinated the development of national evidence-based clinical guidelines on uncomplicated pregnancy, caesarean section, and postpartum haemorrhage.My work combines epidemiological surveillance with observational studies, both at the national and European levels. I have led the design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of numerous studies in the field of maternal health, resulting in over 150 publications in leading peer-reviewed medical journals.I serve as the WHO focal point for maternal mortality estimates, Chair of the International Network of Obstetric Survey Systems (INOSS), and Italian representative in the Euro-Peristat network.I am the Scientific Director of the Italian Obstetric Surveillance System (ItOSS), which I coordinate along with its associated research and training initiatives for healthcare professionals.I am also a member of the Comitato Nazionale Percorso Nascita and serve as an expert advisor to several national commissions coordinated by the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for Regional Health Services (AGENAS).Research Interests:Women’s and maternal healthMaternal mortality and severe maternal morbidityQuality and safety of obstetric and maternal careModifiable determinants of adverse maternal outcomesDevelopment and evaluation of evidence-based clinical guidelinesEpidemiological surveillance systems in maternal healthFor a full list of publications, please refer to my ORCID