46th Annual SRIP Conference -

Chester, United Kingdom

We are delighted to announce that the 46th Annual Conference of the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology (SRIP) will take place on 15th–16th September 2026 at the University of Chester (UK).

Draft Programme Now Available!

We are delighted to share a draft version of the SRIP 2026 Conference Programme. Please note, this is not the finalised version, and may be subject to change.

Registration Now Open!

Registration Deadline: 23rd August 2026

Join an international, multidisciplinary community of researchers and practitioners to discuss the latest advancements in reproductive and infant psychology.

• Network with leading professionals

• Gain insights from innovative research

• Contribute to the conversation, and shape the future of reproductive and infant psychology

Getting to the Conference

For delegates travelling internationally, the University of Chester is conveniently served by several major airports in the North West of England. Liverpool John Lennon Airport, the closest, is approximately 25 miles away and offers a range of European connections, with onward travel to Chester available by taxi or public transport in around 40-60 minutes. Manchester Airport, one of the UK’s largest international hubs, is around 35 miles from the city and provides direct rail services to Chester, making the journey straightforward and typically under an hour. 

The University of Chester is well connected by public transport, making it easy for delegates to travel from across the UK and beyond. Chester Railway Station offers frequent direct services to major cities including Manchester, Liverpool, London, and Birmingham, with regular bus and taxi connections providing a short onward journey to the Exton Park campus. Local bus routes (1, 2, 14A, 22 and 204) stop along Parkgate Road, directly adjacent to the University, ensuring convenient access from the city centre and surrounding areas.

If you are planning to travel to the University via car, please contact us (admin@srip.org)/

SRIP Lecturer Award 2026 - Prof. Jane Fisher AO

Jane Fisher, an academic Clinical and Health Psychologist is Finkel Professor of Global Health in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She leads the multidisciplinary Global and Women’s Health group of academics, research higher degree students and professional staff who undertake research in Australia and the low- and middle-income countries of the Indo-Pacific region.  

She has longstanding interests in the social determinants, including gender-based risks, to the mental health and wellbeing of women and girls across the life course and of how these can be addressed in public health approaches to mental health promotion. Her research has demonstrated that differences in the prevalence of perinatal mental health problems between countries reflect differences in gender inequality indices and that gender-informed interventions are effective in prevention of mental health problems.  

She was appointed Officer in the Order of Australia in 2019 for her contributions to women, mental health and the community. In 2022 she was awarded the International Marcé Society’s John Cox Medal for having made an extraordinary contribution to expert knowledge in the field of perinatal mental health through research, clinical practice, teaching, and mentorship. In 2025 she was awarded the inaugural Donna Stewart Medal by the International Association for Women’s Mental Health for her contributions to awareness of the social and structural determinants of mental health problems experienced by women.

SRIP Keynote 2026 - Professor Gill Thomson

Birth Trauma and its Impact on the Perinatal Period

Gill Thomson currently works as Professor in Perinatal Health at the University of Lancashire in Preston, UK. She holds a BSc and MSc in Psychology, and a PhD in Midwifery. ​Professor Thomson leads the Maternal, parental and Infant Nutrition and Nurture (MAINN) research unit, and is co-director of the INTERRELATE research institute at her university.  Her research focuses on maternal, parental, and infant health, with interests including perinatal mental health, particularly birth trauma, infant feeding, and peer support models of care. She has authored over 160 journal publications, is lead or co-editor of three Routledge texts and has been cited more than 4,400 times. Gill is also a visiting Professor at Western Sydney University, Australia.

Over the last 20 years she has led or been Co-Investigator on various research grants, funded through various prestigious funding bodies including the National Institute of Health and Care Research, Health Technologies Agency, the Wellcome Trust, World Health Organization, UNICEF as well as various National Health Service Trusts and third-sector organisations. These projects span local and national service evaluations, evidence syntheses to inform international guidelines, and large-scale trials to ​explore the impacts of new interventions to reduce perinatal mental health and to improve infant feeding outcomes and experiences. 

Gill is also conference convenor for a biennial international conference – Nutrition & Nurture in Infancy & Childhood, which has been running since 2007.

SRIP Public Lecturer 2026 - Prof. Joyce Harper

Towards a New Understanding of Menopause: Growth and Empowerment

Joyce Harper is an internationally renowned, award-winning educator, Amazon bestselling author, podcaster, academic, public speaker, fertility and women’s health coach and scientist. She is Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London, Institute for Women’s Health. She has worked in the fields of fertility, genetics and reproductive science since 1987, written over 240 scientific papers and published four books. Her topics of interest are women’s health, menstruation, fertility, menopause, reproductive health education, health and lifestyle.

Joyce is passionate about empowering women to live their best lives through good health and happiness. Her last book, Your Fertile Years: What you need to know to make informed choices, published by Sheldon Press, 2021, explores women’s health from puberty to menopause. Her new book, Your Joyful Years: Empowering good health and happiness beyond 50, is an Amazon Bestseller and shares the wisdom of 50 women over 50 who are thriving. She is currently writing her final book in the series, Your Final Years, about death and grief. Her podcast, Why didn’t anyone tell me this? is listened to in over 90 countries, is in the top 10% of podcasts globally and is in season 4. She regularly appears in the UK press, radio and TV. She is co-leading the development of a UK Menopause Education and Support Programme, called InTune, with support from key organisations to ensure everyone is educated about menopause (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-health/uk-national-menopause-education-and-support-programme). She is co-founder of the UK Fertility Education Initiative (www.fertilityed.uk) and co-founder of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration (www.eshre.eu/IRHEC). She is working with schools in the UK and globally to help deliver reproductive health education. She is an ambassador for Wellbeing of Women and is working on establishing support for mothers and daughters suffering from endometriosis and education about periods in schools. She is also an ambassador for Pads on a Roll, a product which gives free period pads in toilet cubicles.

Joyce is an avid cold-water swimmer and is one of the founding members of a research network SwimHer, looking at women’s health and cold-water swimming. She published the world’s first paper on how cold-water swimming affects menstrual and menopause symptoms.

Conference Dinner – An Evening on the River Dee 

We are delighted to invite all delegates to join us for our Conference Dinner aboard ChesterBoat, set against the beautiful backdrop of the River Dee in historic Chester. 

Following a full day of conference sessions, step aboard for a relaxed and memorable evening on the water. This private charter has been arranged exclusively for our group of 80 delegates, offering the perfect opportunity to unwind, network, and continue conversations in a unique setting. 

What to expect: 

• A welcome drink and nibbles on arrival as we board 

• A scenic cruise along the River Dee, showcasing Chester’s historic riverside and surrounding countryside 

• A delicious hot buffet dinner, specially arranged for our delegates 

• A fully stocked bar available throughout the evening 

With panoramic views and a relaxed atmosphere, the evening promises to be a highlight of the conference programme. 

Meeting Point: 

The Boating Station  

Souters Lane 

The Groves  

Chester 

CH1 1SZ 

18.45 – 22.00 

(Please note, due to the nature of the conference dinner location it is imperative that delegates arrive on time as the boat cannot wait. Please ensure you arrive promptly, as refunds cannot be given).  

Hotels 

To help you plan your visit, we’ve compiled a list of nearby hotels for your convenience. Please note that attendees are responsible for arranging their own accommodation, and SRIP does not endorse or recommend any of the listed properties.