Mapping inter-cellular trophoblast-decidual signaling to its effects on invasion related maternal-fetal

The transcriptional regulation and intercellular signaling at the maternal fetal interface impacts a number of pregnancy related pathologies. Specifically, the endometrial cells, such as the endometrial stromal trophoblasts undergo transcriptional regulation of distinct mechanistic programs that affect their permissiveness to placental invasion. Dysregulation of this placental invasion can underly the etiology of invasion related maternal fetal diseases (IMFDs) such as pre-eclampisa, fetal growth restriction, and placenta previa. This project will study the evolution of transcriptional regulatory elements underlying tissue mechanical integrity in the endometrium. Using machine learning and statistical models, combined with comparative genomics and computational regulatory element prediction, we will prioritize putative elements that functionally control endometrial tissue integrity in the face of placental invasion. In addition, the mechanistic insights thus gained will be combined with a data-centric approach to develop a prognostic model to relate individual transcriptional profiles of endometrial cells to IMFD disease risk.