The CRSHE supports research on pregnancy and maternal-fetal health spanning fundamental biology of the placenta and placental disorders, fetal development and maternal-fetal cross-talk as well as maternal mental health and maternal stress and pregnancy outcomes. Outcomes from this work advances knowledge of maternal-fetal health during pregnancy with the goal of improving outcomes for mothers and children.
Biology of the Placenta, Pregnancy and Maternal Fetal Health
Yalda Afshar MD/PhD is a physician-scientist in maternal-fetal medicine whose clinical and translational research focuses on improving outcomes for high-risk pregnancies – especially those involving congenital heart disease, abnormal placentation (including placenta accreta spectrum), and cardiovascular disease affecting mother or fetus. Website: https://www.theafsharlab.com/
- Olivia Scott (2023) investigated placenta accreta spectrum using RNA sequencing, imaging, and chart reviews to identify risk factors and clinical outcomes.
- Lior Kashani Ligumsky (2024) focused on placentation, advancing a hypothesis that placenta accreta originates from decidual dehiscence and scarring. Her work merges molecular, clinical, and environmental perspectives with cutting-edge technologies to clarify the biology of PAS.
- Joanne Sarsam (2023) applied computational fluid dynamics to model fetal hemodynamics, generating non-invasive predictions of fetal aortic pressures and flows. Her methodology adapted cardiovascular modeling to 2D imaging data, providing new clinical insights into fetal circulation.
Kathrin Plath PhD is a basic scientist who invents and applies cutting-edge technologies to study chromatin dynamics and single cell epigenomics, transcriptomics, and secretomics. Her lab contributes groundbreaking advancements in stem cell biology, developmental biology, epigenetics, reprogramming and X-chromosome biology. Website: https://plathlab.org/
- Elsie Jacobson (2024) investigated how differences in X chromosome dosage affect placental development. Her work aims to uncover how X-linked gene dosage influences trophoblast function and diseases such as early-onset preeclampsia, which occur more often in pregnancies with female fetuses.
Elizabeth Nemeth PhD is a basic scientist who researches the molecular regulation of iron homeostasis – especially through the hormone hepcidin, its receptor ferroportin, and the hormone erythroferrone. Her lab develops diagnostics and therapies to treat disorders of iron metabolism such as anemia, hemochromatosis, and iron in pregnancy. Website: https://iron.med.ucla.edu/
- Vida Zhang (2023) conducted mass spectrometry analyses and method development while leading a study on sex hormone signaling and its role in iron regulation during pregnancy.
Suhuas Kallapur MD is a physician scientist whose major research interest is in perinatal infections, chorioamnionitis and perinatal immunology. His research is focused on how inflammation at the maternal-fetal interface triggers preterm labor.
- Neema Pithia (2023) investigated how inflammatory signaling pathways regulate placenta macrophage function during late pregnancy. Her work aims to identify potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets to improve maternal and fetal health.
Heather Christofk PhD is a basic scientist whose pioneering research in metabolism and metabolomics seeks to advance our understanding of how metabolic pathways regulate cell fate, stem-cell function, and tumor growth. Website: https://www.christofklab.com/
- Julia Peloggia de Castro (2025) uses diabetic pregnancy mouse models to investigate how high glucose and sorbitol accumulation alter neural development and contribute to brain and neural tube defects.
Stephanie Correa PhD is a basic scientist who researches how reproductive hormones – especially estrogens – act on specific neural circuits in the hypothalamus to regulate body temperature, energy balance, and metabolism. Website: https://sites.lifesci.ucla.edu/ibp-correalab/
- Laura Cortes (2025) examines how the maternal brain adapts to regulate body temperature during pregnancy to protect fetal development. Her work aims to advance our understanding of how pregnancy hormones safeguard fetal health and influence female physiology across life stages.
Maternal Stress and Pregnancy Outcomes
Chris Dunkel Schetter PhD is a psychologist who investigates how prenatal maternal stress- encompassing environmental stressors, perceived stress, anxiety, social support, and related biopsychosocial factors – influences pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth low birth weight, and postpartum depression, working with diverse populations and interdisciplinary teams to understand underlying biological and psychological mechanisms. Website: https://cds.psych.ucla.edu/
- Gabrielle Rinne (2024) investigated the intergenerational transfer of risk from mothers to children, focusing on the role of maternal stress before, during, and after pregnancy. Using data from a large network study, she published work on how perinatal stress and maternal mental health shape child outcomes.
Maternal Mental Health
Loes Olde Loohuis PhD is a computer scientist and human geneticist who develops genetic and computational approaches to identify causes of severe mental illness and to characterize disease trajectories. Website: https://loeslab.dgsom.ucla.edu/
- Aditya Pimplaskar (2024) focused on uncovering the genetic architecture of perinatal depression (PND). His work aims to clarify whether PND is a distinct subtype of depression and to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies for affected mothers.
Roel Ophoff PhD is a human geneticist whose research focuses on uncovering the genetic underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders, brain structure, and how genomic variation influences disease risk. Website: https://bri.ucla.edu/people/roel-ophoff/
- Lingyu Zhan (2025) focuses on uncovering the genetic determinants of bipolar disorder in postpartum women to improve reproductive mental health outcomes. His work seeks to enable personalized risk assessment, guide early interventions, and enhance postpartum care for women at elevated risk of severe mood episodes.