Mapping Healthy Pregnant Reproductive Organs
Pregnant Female Reproductive Tissue Mapping Center
This project creates detailed 3D maps of the placenta, uterus, and fallopian tubes in healthy pregnant women to better understand how these organs work together.
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 ID | NIH-11142642 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We are creating detailed 3D maps of the placenta, uterus, and fallopian tubes during pregnancy. This involves using advanced imaging techniques like MRI and ultrasound while you are pregnant, and then carefully studying tissue samples after delivery or surgery. Our goal is to understand the normal structure and function of these organs at different stages of pregnancy. These maps will serve as a vital reference for future research into pregnancy complications and diseases.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Healthy pregnant women who are willing to undergo imaging and donate tissue samples after delivery or surgery would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who are not pregnant or those with existing severe pregnancy complications may not directly benefit from this specific mapping effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help researchers pinpoint what goes wrong when pregnancy complications occur, leading to better ways to prevent or treat them.
How similar studies have performed: While individual components of this mapping approach have been used, creating comprehensive, multiscale 3D maps of these organs across pregnancy is a novel and ambitious undertaking.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- 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
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 below.