Current research

Maternal-Fetal Congenital Heart Disease

Maternal congenital heart disease is a major determinant for neonatal morbidity and is associated with a higher risk for adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, compared to the general obstetric population. Our translational team focuses on optimizing both delivery coordination and planning for this high-risk population as well as understanding molecular mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal physiological changes of the cardiovascular system in pregnancy.

Prenatal Vascular Phenotype

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common cause of congenital anomaly, occurring in ~1% of newborns. Upstream and/or downstream signaling alterations in endothelial mechano-transduction throughout their life due to the abnormal flow patterns, remains a unifying phenotype. We have termed this the prenatal vascular phenotype.

The Placenta in Health and Disease

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders are potentially life-threatening pregnancy condition that occurs when the placenta invades into the uterus. The deeper the invasion of the placenta into the uterine muscle, the more severe the PAS. Our lab focuses on normal and abnormal placentation in pregnancy. We’re interested in the placenta as a transient support organ in fetal development, in cardiac development, as well as abnormal placentation, as in placenta accreta spectrum disorders and preeclampsia.

The Fetal Allograft

Recipients of solid organ transplants who become pregnant represent an obstetrically high-risk population. Multidisciplinary preconception and prepartum management, and counseling decrease complications and benefit the maternal-neonatal dyad. We focus on understanding the fetal allograft in the setting of solid-organ transplantation and pregnancy.

Covid-19 & Pregnancy (priority)

PRIORITY (Pregnancy CoRonavIrus Outcomes RegIsTrY) is a nationwide study of pregnant or recently pregnant people who are either under investigation for Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) or have been confirmed to have COVID-19. This study is being done to help patients and healthcare providers better understand how COVID-19 impacts pregnant people and their newborns.