Joy E Lawn

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Professor of Maternal, Reproductive and Child health, Director of MARCH centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, since 2013per ORCID
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicineper ORCID

Publishing since 2000, latest 2026

A paediatrician/neonatal clinician and perinatal epidemiologist with 30 years of experience including national/global estimates bringing attention to the burden of 4.5million deaths around the time of birth. Also leadership in large-scale trials and complex evaluations of maternal, newborn and child care, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently Prof at LSHTM, and past Director of MARCH centre. Strong track record of publication with over 370 peer reviewed papers in… More on ORCID

Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
General Health Professions
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Nutrition and Dietetics
Epidemiology
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

In their own words

neonatal
stillbirths

Publications: 2582000–2026
Citations: 36,264to those papers
h-index: 86i10-index 179
Field-weighted impact: 14.911.00 is the world average
World top 10%: 70%179 of 256 scored papers
Open access: 86%221 papers free to read

33 other works — preprints, datasets and the like — are listed but not counted.

By year

Papers, and the citations to them

Publications, left axisCitations to that year’s papers, right axis2026 still in progress

Career

As their ORCID record read on October 4, 2026

Positions

Professor of Maternal, Reproductive and Child health, Director of MARCH centre, MARCH CentreLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicinesince 2013
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Director of Evidence and PolicySaving Newborn Lives, Save the Children USA2005–2013

Education

PhD (perinatal epidemiology), Centre for Child HealthUniversity College London Institute of Child Health2005–2009
MPH (Inte Health) GPA 3.97/4.0, Rollins School of Public HealthEmory University1998–2000

Publications

258 in all

Every Newborn: health-systems bottlenecks and strategies to accelerate scale-up in countries
2014The LancetJournalOpen accessSenior author366 citations10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60582-1
Estimates of possible severe bacterial infection in neonates in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and Latin America for 2012: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Download CV:PDFWord

Citations received each year

Peerford

To all their work, old papers included. Google Scholar also counts citations from theses, books and web pages, so its line runs higher.

What they work on

From the classification of each paper

Subfields

Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health22085%
General Health Professions9436%
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health7128%
Nutrition and Dietetics5822%
Epidemiology5321%
Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine5321%
Obstetrics and Gynecology4216%
Sociology and Political Science104%
Safety Research83%
Economics and Econometrics62%

Health Sciences
Social Sciences

Topics most written on

Global Maternal and Child Health171
Infant Development and Preterm Care65
Neonatal Respiratory Health Research52
Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare48
Child Nutrition and Water Access47
Neonatal and Maternal Infections41
Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions23
Preterm Birth and Chorioamnionitis22
Breastfeeding Practices and Influences21
Child and Adolescent Health20
Global Health and Surgery20
Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies12

Who they write with

Their most frequent co-authors, and the papers those co-authors share

Where their co-authors are

99% of their papers have a co-author abroad

papers co-written283335366771115Home

Most frequent partner countries

United Kingdom246
United States169
South Africa115
Tanzania75
Switzerland71
Kenya69
Uganda67
Sweden54

Papers with at least one author in that country.

Institutions written with most

London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineGB222 papers
World Health OrganizationCH67 papers
Ifakara Health InstituteTZ55 papers
Save the ChildrenUS53 papers
University College LondonGB52 papers
Johns Hopkins UniversityUS50 papers
Makerere UniversityUG49 papers
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesTZ48 papers
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease ResearchBD44 papers
University of the WitwatersrandZA43 papers

Where they publish

The Lancet36
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth25
Clinical Infectious Diseases15
Population Health Metrics14
BMC Pediatrics12
Journal of Global Health12
Health Policy and Planning

Development goals addressed

From each paper’s title and abstract

3Good health and well-being72
1No poverty50
5Gender equality13
17Partnerships for the goals11
2Zero hunger9
10Reduced inequalities3
4Quality education2
9

Most cited

National, regional, and worldwide estimates of preterm birth rates in the year 2010 with time trends since 1990 for selected countries: a systematic analysis and implications
The Lancet
20124,716 citationsWorld top 10%
Every Newborn: progress, priorities, and potential beyond survival
The Lancet3
20142,013 citationsWorld top 10%
Stillbirths: rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030

MB BS, Medical SchoolUniversity of Nottingham

BMEdsci, Medical SchoolUniversity of Nottingham1986–1988

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Where do pulse oximeter probes break?

2013Journal of Clinical Monitoring and ComputingJournalSenior author6 citations10.1007/s10877-013-9538-2

Newborn survival in Malawi: a decade of change and future implications

2012Health Policy and PlanningJournalSenior author86 citations10.1093/heapol/czs043

Stillbirths: Where? When? Why? How to make the data count?

2011The LancetJournalFirst authorCorresponding801 citations10.1016/s0140-6736(10)62187-3

3.6 Million Neonatal Deaths—What Is Progressing and What Is Not?

2010Seminars in PerinatologyJournalFirst authorCorresponding456 citations10.1053/j.semperi.2010.09.011

'Kangaroo mother care' to prevent neonatal deaths due to preterm birth complications

2010International Journal of EpidemiologyJournalOpen accessFirst authorCorresponding542 citations10.1093/ije/dyq031

Antenatal steroids in preterm labour for the prevention of neonatal deaths due to complications of preterm birth

2010International Journal of EpidemiologyJournalOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding156 citations10.1093/ije/dyq029

Authors' Response * 'Kangaroo mother care' to prevent neonatal deaths due to pre-term birth complications

2010International Journal of EpidemiologyJournalOpen accessFirst authorCorresponding23 citations10.1093/ije/dyq172

Newborn survival in low resource settings—are we delivering?

2009BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics & GynaecologyJournalFirst authorCorresponding236 citations10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02328.x

Neonatal resuscitation in low-resource settings: What, who, and how to overcome challenges to scale up?

2009International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsJournalOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding360 citations10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.07.013

Obstetric care in low-resource settings: What, who, and how to overcome challenges to scale up?

2009International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsJournalSenior author226 citations10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.07.017

Two million intrapartum-related stillbirths and neonatal deaths: Where, why, and what can be done?

2009International Journal of Gynecology & ObstetricsJournalOpen accessFirst authorCorresponding575 citations10.1016/j.ijgo.2009.07.016

The Lancet Global Health10

How it can be read

86% free to read

Diamond 2 · 1%Free to read and to publish
Gold 136 · 53%In an open-access journal
Hybrid 43 · 17%Open in a subscription journal
Bronze 22 · 9%Free to read, no open licence
Green 18 · 7%A copy in a repository
Closed 37 · 14%Behind a paywall

Who funds it

209 of 258 papers name a funder

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation88
Medical Research Council71
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine64
World Health Organization62
Children's Investment Fund Foundation53
Wellcome Trust50
UNICEF33
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation24

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

8Decent work and economic growth1

20161,849 citationsWorld top 10%Open access · Bronze