MBChB MD MRCS MRCOG

Education and training

Dr Uwins is a consultant gynaecologist and subspecialist gynaecological oncology surgeon.

Dr Uwins studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen, graduating in 2005 with distinctions in her clinical years and a first class honours degree in medical science. She went on to complete specialist training in obstetrics and gynaecology in London and subspecialty training in gynaecological oncology at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

To further develop her expertise in complex surgery, Dr Uwins undertook a fellowship at the Basingstoke Peritoneal Malignancy Institute, where she gained additional experience in major abdominal cancer surgery and HIPEC (a treatment that delivers heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen).

Alongside clinical training, Dr Uwins completed a doctorate (MD) at the University of Surrey, researching the role of robotic surgery in advanced ovarian cancer. She is also an accredited robotic surgeon (SERGS, BIARGS, Intuitive) and has also completed national leadership programmes with the NHS Leadership Academy and the Healthcare Leadership Academy.

Dr Uwins holds international leadership roles as vice-president of YEARS (Young European Advocates of Robotic Surgery) and founder of NEARS (Network of European Advocates of Robotic Surgery), networks that bring together surgeons across Europe to collaborate on research, training, and innovation in robotic surgery.

Experience

Dr Uwins cares for women with gynaecological cancers, including ovarian, womb, cervical and vulval cancers. Her focus is on providing safe, personalised care that combines effective treatment with the best possible quality of life.

She perform a wide range of operations, including:

Minimally invasive surgery (robotic and laparoscopic), including sentinel lymph node assessment, which can mean quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays.
Open surgery for advanced ovarian cancer, aiming to remove all visible disease.
Fertility-sparing treatments, when appropriate, to help preserve the option of future pregnancy.
Vulval and cervical cancer surgery, including sentinel lymph node procedures and the treatment of pre-cancerous (pre-invasive) disease.

In addition to surgery, Dr Uwins provides outpatient consultations, colposcopy, outpatient hysteroscopy and long-term follow-up care. She works closely with a team of oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, specialist nurses and other professionals to ensure every patient receives joined-up, compassionate care.

Awards and prizes

Intuitive Foundation Grant for MIRRORS-RCT (pilot)
First prize BGCS short oral, British Gynaecological Cancer Society annual scientific meeting, London, July 2022
Award for excellent oral presentation, Society of European Robotic Gynaecological Surgery (SERGS), 2021
NIHR CRN Greenshoots Award (national), 2020.

Research

For her MD, Dr Uwins led the MIRRORS study, which investigated the feasibility and safety of robotic surgery in selected women with advanced ovarian cancer. The study demonstrated that robotic surgery can reduce blood loss, shorten hospital stays, and support faster recovery compared with traditional approaches.

She remain actively involved in MIRRORS as a principal investigator alongside the chief investigator. Together, they are preparing to launch an international randomised controlled trial that will compare robotic and open surgery for ovarian cancer across multiple countries. This will be one of the first large-scale studies to rigorously test robotic surgery with regards to cancer outcomes in this setting.

Beyond ovarian cancer, Dr Uwins' research also explores how surgery affects quality of life and recovery, particularly in women who are older or have additional health conditions. She is committed to developing surgical approaches that are not only effective but also tailored to ensure safety and optimise recovery for all patients.

Dr Uwins is also involved in national research on workplace culture and wellbeing in gynaecological oncology, recognising that supporting healthcare teams is essential to delivering the best care for patients.

Publications

Pierce H, Towner C, Uwins C, Montgomery A, Ind T, Butler‑Manuel S, Dobbs S. “Is it possible to change the whole system? I hope so”: a UK national survey on workplace behaviours and burnout in Gynecologic Oncology. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2025;35(11). doi:10.1016/j.ijgc.2025.102134
Uwins C, Assalaarachchi H, Bennett K, Read J, Tailor A, Crawshaw J, Chatterjee J, Ellis P, Skene SS, Michael A, Butler‑Manuel S. MIRRORS: a prospective cohort study assessing the feasibility of robotic interval debulking surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2024;34:886‑97.
Uwins C, Hablase R, Assalaarachchi H, Tailor A, Stewart A, Chatterjee J, Ellis P, Skene SS, Michael A, Butler‑Manuel S. Enhanced recovery after uterine corpus cancer surgery: A 10‑year retrospective cohort study of robotic surgery in an NHS cancer centre. Cancers (Basel). 2022;14:5463. doi:10.3390/cancers14215463

Research profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3439-2183

Contact

You can contact Dr Christina Uwins via email, GynaeOncologySupport@uhs.nhs.uk