Associate Professor Fran Boyle

Fran Boyle co-leads the Stillbirth CRE’s Care after stillbirth research program. Fran is also a health services researcher at The University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research.

With a background in psychology and public health, Fran’s research is focused on ensuring best possible care following stillbirth, neonatal death and other types of pregnancy loss. Her work is driven by the firm belief that consumer perspectives and understanding of people’s lived experiences of health and their health care systems are essential to developing responsive and effective policy and practice.

Like many with a passion for research and practice in this area, Fran’s involvement began with her own lived experience of the loss of a baby soon after birth. Her research has helped build the evidence base for best practice perinatal bereavement care including the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand/Stillbirth CRE Clinical Practice Guideline for Respectful and Supportive Perinatal Bereavement Care. Her work, which focuses on both hospital and community settings, has highlighted the widely varying needs of parents following pregnancy loss and the importance of a range of tailored support options, including parent-focused support organisations.

Fran is engaged with various Stillbirth CRE projects including the development of a Parent Version of the Clinical Practice Guideline for Respectful and Supportive Perinatal Bereavement Care; the Living with Loss Program; and the COCOON global survey.

Fran is a member of the Red Nose National Scientific Advisory Group and co-Chair of the International Stillbirth Alliance Bereavement Care working group.