Intrauterine Metal Exposure, Placental Gene Networks and Fetal Growth

PROJECT NARRATIVE The intrauterine phase is a period of heightened sensitivity to environmental insults, including toxic levels of trace metals, with the potential to disrupt fetal development as well as trigger health effects across the lifespan of the newborn. The proposed research seeks to comprehensively assess the impact of multi-metal exposure during pregnancy on fetal growth, examine the potential role of the placental transcriptome in the pathway linking in utero trace metal exposures to fetal growth and validate derived in silico findings in an in vitro model. More broadly, the knowledge and skill gained from this proposal can be applied to expand the literature on the impact of various in utero environmental exposures on a range of birth outcomes.