Professor Emeritus Eileen Hutton, RM, PhD, DSc (HC) was Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Director of Midwifery at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario 2007-18.  Dr. Hutton held a part time endowed chair position from 2010-15 as Professor of Midwifery Science at Vrije University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Her undergraduate degree is from Queen’s University School of Nursing (BNSc) and she holds graduate degrees from The University of Toronto, School of Nursing (MScN) and Institute of Medical Science – Clinical Epidemiology (PhD).  In 2006 Dr. Hutton was recognised by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada with a National Award of Excellence for leadership by fostering interprofessional collaboration in support of women’s health, and dedication to the advancement of midwifery practice and maternal health in Canada and abroad.  She received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Ontario Midwives in recognition of her role in education, research and contribution to the profession. In 2016 Dr. Hutton received an Honorary Doctorate from Queen’s University recognising her contribution to the development of Canadian Midwifery. In 2017, Professor Hutton became the first Canadian Midwife to be inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

She has published many peer-reviewed papers on a variety of topics relevant to midwifery and obstetrics including twin birth, external cephalic version, late and early clamping of the umbilical cord in term neonates, vaginal birth after caesarean section, sterile water injections for labour pain relief and home birth. Her current work focuses on the intersection of birth and early life exposures and the development of infant gut microbiome.