Professor Robert Pattinson conducts research at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies unit, which he was the director of until his retirement. He no longer does clinical work and focuses only on research.

Prof Pattinson, who did his undergraduate studies at the University of the Witwatersrand and his postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University, has had a long association with UP, having been involved in research at the University for 30 years. “Opportunities were the best here,” he says.

His research aims to reduce the deaths of mothers and babies; he is also working on preventing stillbirths. A recent highlight for Prof Pattinson was being awarded an SAMRC Gold Medal for Research.

“Another recent milestone of ours was developing an innovative strategy to reduce stillbirths by between a third to half,’ says Prof Pattinson. “I hope that we will achieve a significant reduction in stillbirths as we did by significantly reducing maternal deaths by 29% through developing and implementing the Essential Steps in Managing Obstetric Emergencies and Emergency Obstetric Simulation Training programmes in South Africa.”

Prof Pattinson’s advice to prospective and undergraduate students is short and sweet: “Work hard.”

He has many hobbies and interests, including reading, hiking, cycling, kayaking and diving.