Exeter College Supernumerary Fellow recognised in University of Oxford’s Recognition of Distinction Awards

Dr Duncan Sparrow, Supernumerary Fellow at Exeter College, has been awarded the title of Professor of Cardiovascular Developmental Biology in the University of Oxford’s 2025 Recognition of Distinction Exercise.

Dr Sparrow completed his PhD at the University of Adelaide, before postdoctoral training at the National Institute for Medical Research in London and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. He established his research group at Oxford in 2015 and was appointed Associate Professor in 2020, supported by a British Heart Foundation Senior Basic Science Research Fellowship (first awarded in 2017 and renewed in 2023).

His research addresses congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common type of birth defect, affecting approximately 1 % of babies. While one‑third of CHD cases are attributed to genetic causes, Dr Sparrow explores environmental influences, including maternal iron deficiency, diabetes, valproic acid exposure, and hyperthermia. His work in mice has revealed that maternal anaemia during early pregnancy can lead to severe heart defects in offspring. Most recently, he has collaborated with Oxford epidemiologists to show that in the UK population, maternal anaemia in the first trimester is associated with an almost 50% increase in the odds of having a child with CHD.

Exeter College warmly congratulates Professor Duncan Sparrow on this significant appointment.