Dr. Sarah Wernimont

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases maternal risk of pregnancy complications and offspring risk for lifelong metabolic disease. Abnormalities in placental development, including defects in trophoblast differentiation, are linked to these adverse outcomes, though the mechanisms driving these abnormalities and clinical impact are not fully understood. This work combines metabolic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic approaches to delineate mechanisms driving abnormalities in placental development in GDM. This information is expected to identify new mechanistic opportunities to improve placental and neonatal health in pregnancies complicated by GDM.