Maternal Body Composition Regulates Placental Function and Fetal Growth

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): I am committed to a career in academic medicine, and my five-year career goal is to become an independent investigator in the areas of maternal body composition, maternal metabolism, placental nutrient transport, and fetal growth. My long-term career objective is to build a strong translational research program to study the effect of maternal fat and muscle mass on placental function, neonatal development, and the offspring's risk of future cardiovascular disease. I have completed my clinical training in maternal-fetal medicine, a Master of Clinical Research degree, and have received valuable basic training in molecular techniques. Additional training is required however before I can achieve my career goal of becoming an independent investigator in maternal-fetal-placental health. The proposed training program has been designed to provide training in: 1) placental physiology and developmental health, 2) maternal metabolism and 3) project management and leadership skills. Oregon Health and Science University is an ideal environment for this training. It offers is strong reputation as a leading biomedical research and training institution; the Center for Developmental Health is internationally recognized for its work in fetal physiology and the developmental origins of health and disease; and the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) is dedicated to the development of successful young investigators. One in five women who deliver in the United States is obese. Babies born to obese women are at risk for being at the extremes of birth weight (>4500g or