is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology within the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med). Her research focuses on the critical issue of pre-term labor, aiming to understand and prevent early uterine contractions that lead to the premature birth of underdeveloped babies.
What is the major focus of your research?
“Our research is focused on the problem of pre-term labor, and this is when the uterus starts to contract too early during pregnancy. This is a serious problem because when the uterus contracts too early during pregnancy, the baby will be born too early and underdeveloped. These babies face a lifetime risk of major health issues and, unfortunately, pre-term birth represents a major health disparity in the United States. So, we're investigating how known risk factors for pre-term labor can lead to the early onset of uterine contractions, and we've identified specific enzymes that are associated with infection that increase the strength and frequency of uterine contractions.”
What major challenge do you hope to address with your research?
“Our long-term goal is to develop effective methods to stop early uterine contractions and allow more healthy babies to be carried to term. I'm working with my colleagues here at the School of Medicine and also the College of Engineering and Renown Health to identify targets and develop new drugs to stop early uterine contractions. We're also working to develop a bioprinted model of human uterine tissue that we can use to facilitate and enhance these studies.”
Who are and were the greatest influences on your decision to pursue research?
“The first person who encouraged me to apply to graduate school was Dr. Nabeel Affara - he was my mentor at the University of Cambridge right after I finished my undergraduate degree. Then, once I had gone to graduate school at the University of Illinois, I had amazing mentors including my adviser Dr. Dave Miller, who was always available to help me, and then Dr. Romana Nowak and Dr. Janice Bahr. Dr. Bahr was particularly inspiring because, when I started graduate school, she was the only woman professor in our department of over the 40 faculty- and she had been for two decades. So, a lot of graduate students from my cohort that were women ended up as professors, and I think all of us can thank her for showing us that it could be done.”
What do you do for fun?
“My hobbies are weightlifting and dancing. I also enjoy paddle boarding on Lake Tahoe, especially during our annual Lab Lake days.”
