This National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences project grant, awarded to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), aims to better understand the role of trophoblast cells and extracellular vesicles (exosomes) in placental function and development. The $502,999 award, effective June 15, 2024 through May 31, 2027, will focus on two key objectives: 1) characterizing how oxygen levels and biochemical factors influence trophoblast invasion of the extracellular matrix, and 2) examining how...
This $550,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (CFDA 47.084) program supports the development and validation of a non-invasive, multiplex blood test for the early detection of preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication. The project aims to advance the detection of vascular dysfunction, particularly preeclampsia, by optimizing a blood test that targets disease-inducing signaling proteins on the surface of...
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $650,000 to Rowan University to develop lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as tools to study the role of oxygen levels and inflammation in healthy and pathologic pregnancy. The goal is to use these LNPs to investigate how oxygen and immune-related pathways influence placenta development and function, which can lead to pregnancy-related diseases. This research, spanning July 2025 to June...
The National Science Foundation, through its Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083), has awarded a $160,000 project grant to Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University) to develop an innovative 3D cell culture platform that can model the transport of pharmaceutical agents across the placental barrier. The project aims to enable quantitative studies on a wide range of pharmaceuticals, understand their interactions, transport through the vasculature, and...
This $516,556 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) under the "Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health" (CFDA 93.286) program aims to develop and validate a novel, personalized flow modeling paradigm for assessing hemodynamics of the fetal aorta. The project, conducted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), will focus on coarctation of the aorta, a common congenital heart...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $629,998 to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to develop in vitro models for investigating the biophysical and biochemical drivers of fibrosis progression and regression across diverse engineered platforms. The project aims to create models for pancreatic, skin, and uterine fibroid fibrosis to advance understanding of how tissue-specific extracellular matrix features, cellular composition,...
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) awarded a $411,125 Project Grant (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) to Syracuse University to develop a microfluidic human placenta organoid model. The goal is to generate human trophoblast stem cells (HTSCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells and use them to create a placenta organoid system that can replicate early/mid-gestation placental development. The researchers will study the role of...
This Project Grant award of $878,496 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) supports research to understand the role of STAT5 signaling in placental dysfunction, inflammation, and fetal immune activation. The project aims to investigate how the STAT2 and STAT5B proteins in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway contribute to immune processes that support healthy pregnancies. Through innovative techniques and human placental organoid models, the research...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) provides $485,925 to the University of Massachusetts Boston to develop novel antioxidant compounds for treating preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication. The primary goal is to design and synthesize cationic hydrazone antioxidants that can target mitochondria to reduce oxidative stress, improve...
This $595,934 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will allow Washington State University to develop advanced musculoskeletal models and simulation approaches to investigate the impact of pregnancy on the musculoskeletal system. The research objectives are to: (i) determine how pregnancy and postpartum alter torso and hip muscle mechanical properties, (ii) assess how spine extensors accommodate changes in muscle mechanics and posture during...