SOME OF OUR WORK

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)

The overall objective of our research program is to define gene-environment interactions that underlie the DOHaD with the expectation that such data would ultimately inform the development of intervention strategies to positively impact on the health and well-being of children and adults. Our program integrates both population and murine developmental genetic approaches in our understanding of DOHaD.

Understanding the mechanisms responsible for the onset of labour

We are investigating whether the change in the myometrium from a dormant state to the contractile state that occurs during labour is caused by the activation of genes. The lab has shown that both mechanical signals (due to stretching of the myometrium) and endocrine signals are required to activate a cassette of genes called "contractile-associated proteins" (e.g. Cx43 and oxytocin receptor) and initiate labour.

Diagnosis, prediction, and prophylaxis of preterm birth

We are utilizing a genome-wide analysis to predict the onset of human preterm birth, with the eventual aim of developing a diagnostic test for true preterm birth. A major advantage of this development is its improved sensitivity, which allows it to detect subtle dynamic property changes in response to our experimentation.