Pregnancy and Maternal Health

A number of labs within CoRe are interested in the health and well-being of the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Studies range from those exploring the genetic origins of spontaneous pregnancy loss (Schimenti, Cohen, and others), to those focusing on the natural maternal and infant immune responses that contribute to impeding transmission of vertically transmitted viral pathogens, such as HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Zika, and how these effective immune responses can best targeted by vaccine approaches (Permar and others). Studies are also aimed at understanding virus transmission in human breast milk, as well at understanding how the uterus transitions between pregnancy, involution, and cycling states in humans and animals (Cheong and others).