Remembering Professor Chris Redman: a visionary behind the Dawes-Redman System
18th September 2024
Since 1980, Oxford University Innovation (OUI) has overseen the licensing and commercialisation of the Dawes-Redman Cardiotocography (CTG) analysis system. This technology, used worldwide to monitor fetal health during pregnancy, is considered one of the University of Oxford’s most successful clinical advances.
Professor Chris Redman, co-developer of the Dawes-Redman analysis, sadly passed away last month at the age of 82.
Prof Redman, a renowned pioneer in obstetrics, dedicated his career to advancing maternal and foetal health within the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford. A physician by training, he was among the first to recognise the critical role that both pre-existing medical conditions and pregnancy-specific diseases, such as pre-eclampsia, play in ensuring the safety of mother and child.
The Dawes-Redman CTG Analysis system transformed the analysis of foetal heartbeats and movements, offering clinicians an objective method to detect early signs of distress by interpreting data from foetal heart monitoring devices.
Based on the world’s largest database of over 100,000 CTG traces matched with clinical outcomes, the system was developed over 13 years in collaboration with Professor Geoffrey Dawes, an expert in foetal physiology. Today, the Dawes-Redman system is acknowledged as the gold standard for acute foetal assessment, and is utilised in the NHS and over 130 countries worldwide. Before its introduction, CTG trace interpretation was highly subjective, often contributing to poor foetal outcomes.
Steve Silvey, Deputy Head of Licensing and Ventures for Life Sciences, paid tribute: “Professor Chris Redman’s work has profoundly shaped the landscape of maternity care worldwide. The Dawes-Redman CTG Analysis system, which we have had the privilege to support through licensing and commercialisation, is a testament to his pioneering vision and dedication to improving foetal health. Thanks to his groundbreaking efforts, this technology has become an essential tool for clinicians across the globe, ensuring safer outcomes for mothers and babies alike. His legacy will continue to positively impact lives for generations to come.”
Prof. Manu Vatish, Professor of Obstetrics at the Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, said: “I first met Chris when I started my DPhil and then worked for him clinically on the Silver Star Unit. I was later offered the opportunity to collaborate with Chris Redman and Ian Sargent in 2012 and jumped at the chance. Over the last decade, together we brought forward their concepts of extracellular vesicles as major drivers of preeclampsia pathogenesis and angiogenic biomarkers as tools for preeclampsia diagnosis. Chris was always hugely knowledgeable, incredibly patient and good humoured. I am immensely proud to have worked with him. Oxford is emptier without his presence.”
For more information about how Oxford University Innovation supports the commercialisation of technologies, please visit the relevant section of our website.
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