In September 2016, Maria joined the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast as a Lecturer in Midwifery (Education).  Since taking up the position she has published and is joint recipient of a GAIN guideline development award.  Prior to this appointment, Dr Maria Healy was the Head of Midwifery at University College Dublin, School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Systems.  She joined UCD in 2000, and as programme director of midwifery education, has been the academic lead involved in range of academic innovations, curriculum development, research-led teaching and supervision.

Maria is an Ulster University (UU), University College Dublin (UCD) and University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) graduate with a postgraduate diploma and master's degree in Health Promotion (MSc) (UU), Higher Diploma in Nursing/Midwifery education (UCD) and a PhD in Midwifery (UCLan).  Her PhD was entitled: ‘Rethinking postnatal care: A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological study of postnatal care in Ireland’.  She is a Registered Midwife (RM), Registered General Nurse (RGN) and Teacher (TCH), has extensive experience in clinical midwifery practice; continuing to work as a bank midwife in the Western Health and Social Care Trust. 

Dr Healy as Principle Investigator or Co-researcher over the last five years has accumulated research funding of approx. £140,000.  Research projects include: Development of GAIN guideline for admission to midwife-led units & Northern Ireland Normal Labour and Birth Care Pathway; An evaluation of DOMINO and home birth services in ROI; Women’s experiences of home birth and postnatal care; The development of ROI national home birth care governance framework. Maria is a member of working group two, on the ‘EU Birth Research project’, (EU COST Action IS1405) from May 2015.  This research involves the exploration of maternal and fetal movement in pregnancy and labour.