3D maps of pregnant reproductive organs
Official title: Pregnant Female Reproductive Tissue Mapping Center
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11369184 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Creating detailed 3D maps of the placenta, uterus, and fallopian tubes to help pregnant people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $101,133 |
| NIH project number | 3U54HD110347-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11369184 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people with otherwise healthy pregnancies who can attend imaging visits in La Jolla and agree to donate tissue at delivery or planned surgery.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, those needing immediate clinical treatment, or those unable to attend local imaging and deliver at participating hospitals are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would be invited to have MRI and ultrasound scans during pregnancy to show organ structure, blood flow, and other features. After delivery or surgery, small tissue samples would be collected and quickly processed for laboratory tests that look at cells, genes, proteins, and where they sit in the tissue. The team will combine imaging, histology, and multi-omic data (including single-nucleus and spatial profiling) to build reference multiscale 3D maps of healthy pregnancy tissues. These maps are meant to be a baseline so future research can identify how tissue changes lead to pregnancy problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the maps could help doctors spot and understand pregnancy complications earlier and guide better care.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tissue atlases and placental studies have produced useful data, but this broad, integrated multi-omic 3D mapping across pregnant reproductive organs is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Laurent, Louise Chang — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Laurent, Louise Chang
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.