Advancing Preterm Birth Research: The Borne Collaborative Returns in 2026
Enthusiasm is building as we approach the fourth international Borne Collaborative meeting, to be held in Puerto Rico at the end of March in conjunction with the Society of Reproductive Investigation (SRI) annual conference. Around 40 scientific experts from Europe and North America will gather for a stimulating day of sharing research outcomes, discussing crucial gaps in our knowledge, exploring new ideas and techniques, and advancing Borne’s mission to understand and prevent preterm labour.
The day will open with a brief update on Borne’s activities over the past year, including developments within the expanded Scientific Advisory Board, successful fundraising initiatives, internationalisation efforts, and the inaugural Borne Lecture.
Four scientific sessions will follow. The first will present the outcomes of the two BUMP (Borne Uterine Mapping Project) feasibility studies, led by Professor Rachel Tribe (King’s College London) and Professor Phil Bennett (Imperial College London). This will be followed by a discussion, chaired by Professor Lucilla Poston, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, exploring what comes next for Borne’s much-anticipated Big BUMP programme.
The second morning session will focus on presentations describing a range of state-of-the-art experimental techniques with relevance to advancing preterm birth research.
After lunch, the third session will explore a crucial research question: how does electrical activity travel across the uterus to control contractions during labour? This remains one of the most significant ‘black boxes’ in the field and understanding it will be key to improving treatments for preterm birth.
The final session will take the form of a debate examining the relevance of non-human animal research studies. Government funding strategies are shifting significantly in this area, often without full consideration of the potential impact on pregnancy and preterm birth research. The debate – Does this house support the proposal to phase out animal research? – will provide an opportunity for the Collaborative’s scientific experts to explore the issues in depth and help inform Borne’s future strategic positioning.
As ever, we are deeply grateful to our colleagues for giving their time and ideas so generously in support of the Borne Collaborative and in advancing Borne’s mission to improve treatment and prevention approaches for spontaneous preterm birth.
Following the Borne Collaborative meeting, we are also delighted that, the inaugural Borne Lecture will be held as part of the 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) in Puerto Rico in March 2026.
We are honoured to welcome Professor Sarah England, Director of the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine, who will deliver the Borne Lecture entitled Rhythms of Pregnancy.
A member of Borne’s Scientific Advisory Board, Professor England is an internationally recognised research physiologist whose pioneering work has transformed our understanding of pregnancy and labour. Her research spans fundamental discovery through to clinical relevance and includes recent high-impact publications in collaboration with the 2021 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Ardem Patapoutian. Her lecture promises to be a highlight of the meeting.
