UTMB Health Obstetrics & Gynecology

06/04/2025

UTMB Health has been awarded nearly $5 million in new Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) funding to support groundbreaking cancer research and prevention efforts. These grants will help expand access to HPV vaccination in underserved communities, advance treatment options for resistant lymphomas, and strengthen our research infrastructure. Learn more about how this work is making an impact. https://utmb.us/e2c

05/29/2025

Menon Lab at UTMB Research Day 2025!

🎉 Menon Lab at UTMB Research Day 2025! 🎉

We are proud to showcase the Menon laboratory research conducted by our team at the UTMB Research Day! A huge congratulations to Glenmarie Angelica Perias for winning an award for her impactful poster presentation titled "Differential Changes in Feto-Maternal Cells Upon High Glucose Exposure." 🧫🧬

👏 A big shoutout to all our medical students, graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and faculty who presented their innovative work and represented the Menon Lab with passion and dedication. Your commitment to advancing reproductive and perinatal science is truly inspiring.

05/21/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Abbey Berenson on securing grant funding of $2,499,900 for the grant titled "Expanding Opportunities for HPV Vaccination in Medically Underserved Areas of East Texas."

Published: May 21, 2025

CPRIT awards over $93 million to support cancer research and prevention initiatives.

Grants include funding for recruitment initiatives, prevention services, and product development.

https://cprit.texas.gov/news-events/articles/cprit-awards-more-than-93-million-for-cancer-research-and-prevention/

05/16/2025

Congratulations to MFM & critical care Fellow Dr. Collins-Smith on the publication of her MFM thesis presented at SMFM 2025 and published in the Pregnancy journal.

Can an organ-on-chip replace traditional pharmacokinetic testing of therapeutics in pregnancy?

New research using a novel organ-on-chip reveals pharmacokinetic properties and parameters similar to those in placental perfusion studies and pregnant human subjects. This novel organ-on-chip will allow for high output testing and rapid testing of therapeutics in pregnancy that could negate the need for extensive approval of clinical trials using pregnant patients.

This cutting-edge study highlights an alternative option for novel drug testing in pregnancy that bypasses current lengthy and costly testing of therapeutics in pregnancy.

Read more with the following link:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pmf2.70007

04/18/2025

Join us next Thursday for a SCI Cafe event exploring the potential effects of environmental exposures, such as microplastics, on the placenta and maternal health!

03/12/2025

Congratulations to MFM Fellow Dr. Daphne Arena Goncharov on the publication of her MFM thesis in the International Journal of Molecular Science!

🛡️Does a baby’s s*x influence how the fetal membrane fights infection? 🛡️

New research finds that male and female fetal cells respond differently to inflammation in the placenta—but not in the way we expected! While male-derived cells produced less IL-6 (a key inflammatory signal) and progesterone, they didn’t show heightened inflammation under stress.

This challenges the idea that male placentas are more vulnerable and suggests the chorion acts as a strong protective barrier, resisting inflammatory damage.

Could unlocking the fetal membranes defense secrets help prevent preterm birth?

🔍 The science of fetal health is evolving—let’s explore!

Read more here: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/5/2239

03/12/2025

Congratulations to MFM Fellow Dr. Ben Bush on the publication of his MFM thesis work in The Journal of Reproductive Immunology!

🧬 How does the fetal membrane defend itself against stress? 🧬

New research reveals that chorionic trophoblast cells (CTCs) are remarkably resistant to cellular transitions that could trigger inflammation and weaken fetal membranes. Even under stressors like infection or environmental challenges, these cells maintain their protective barrier—suggesting a built-in defense mechanism during pregnancy.

However, autophagy inhibition showed signs of disrupting this stability, hinting at a potential weak link. Could targeting cellular stress pathways help prevent pregnancy complications?

🔍 The fetal membrane is tougher than we thought—let’s dive into the science!

Read more here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39999661/

03/12/2025

Congratulations to MFM Fellow Dr. Sourabh Sharma on publishing his Thesis in Frontiers of Cell and Developmental Biology!

🔥 Could everyday pollutants be silently affecting fetal brain development? 🔥

New research using a fetal blood-brain barrier organ-on-a-chip (FB-OOC) reveals that common flame retardants (PBDEs) can disrupt glutamate balance—potentially impacting brain development in preterm neonates. While PBDE exposure led to glutamate dysregulation, a known risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), it surprisingly did not trigger neuroinflammation in our advanced model.

This cutting-edge study highlights the urgent need to assess environmental pollutants’ impact on fetal brain health during pregnancy.

Read more with the following link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2025.1543710/full

01/28/2025

UTMB Health has been recognized as one of Healthgrades’ 250 Best Hospitals for 2025, placing it among the top five percent of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance. This prestigious honor—which the campus also received in 2023 and 2024—reflects UTMB Health’s unwavering commitment to providing exceptional, patient-centered care and achieving outstanding clinical outcomes. For more visit, https://utmb.us/c0g

01/20/2025

Winter Weather Update 2: Due to the severe winter weather forecast to impact our region, UTMB Health clinics will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and elective procedures scheduled for Tuesday are suspended. Appointments are being rescheduled. UTMB’s five schools will hold classes virtually both Tuesday and Wednesday where possible. Stay safe and warm. https://www.utmb.edu/public-alert/

01/02/2025