Page 17 - EUREKA! Summer 2018

“It’s crucial to have a good mentor. You need to have

people who believe in you and trust you and train you,

and then give you independence and know that you’ll
go out and do science that excites you — and do it well.”

The placental research, some of which Palladino is part of,
makes use of both animal models (mice) and human tissue
samples from pregnancy cohorts at Mount Sinai. Palladino
has been able to demonstrate that if a mouse is undernour-
ished during pregnancy, folate production and transporta-
tion is affected, which impacts fetal development. Taking
probiotics (because they play a critical role in the produc-
tion of some vitamins) could be a remedy that increases
folate production in the maternal gut, which could then
be transported to the fetus through the placenta. Srugo’s
project, although completely separate, is similar in that he is
exploring how malnutrition can alter the gut, including the
microbiome (or community of microorganisms), which im-
pacts gut integrity and function. This work has implications
for the health of both pregnant women and their children.
“We think this may be related to early brain development,”
Connor says about Srugo’s research, “because the gut and
the brain talk to each other.” A dysfunctional offspring gut
microbiome, she suggests, could lead to obesity, type 2 dia-
betes, anxiety and depression later in life. “We’re trying to
understand how these systems are formed, how our future
health pathways are created,” says Connor, referring specifi-
cally to the work her students are doing, but also thinking
about her entire research program. “We want to prevent this
type of adversity in the first place. The cells that eventually
ment of infants, and how breastfeeding might serve as a make up the embryo and fetus develop and multiply, start-
protective intervention. They are also doing a social media ing even before conception.”
data mining study (see “You are what you Tweet” on page Paying more attention to maternal health — as part of a
15) as part of this overall effort. broader attempt to improve the long-term prospects for
Her other key project, funded in part by a new investiga- children — may seem intuitive. “But in my field,” says Con-
tor grant from the Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foun- nor, “there’s a very high burden of proof to convince people
dation, is looking at women who are underweight or have that what happens in very early life is linked to our health in
obesity during pregnancy, conditions that are associated later life. Because you might not see the positive outcome
with inflammation, which in turn is associated with preterm of an early-life intervention for 30, 40 or 50 years. Most
birth and adverse fetal outcomes. This research is zeroing people understand that if you get cancer, for example, there
in on the placenta, which serves as a conduit for nutrients, are treatments and drugs. They don’t understand preventa-
oxygen and other substances to reach the fetus and shape tive medicine in the same way.
its development. Placental function is diminished by inflam- “The average person may look at connections between
mation, which is why Connor thinks being underweight or research and public policy or lifestyle interventions in a
having obesity may also diminish natural defences in the different way than scientists,” adds Connor, “but we always
placenta and fetal membranes. This may explain in part why have to keep the bigger picture in mind. Ultimately, this is
weighing too much or too little is associated with greater our obligation as scientists. We’re relying on public money
risk of preterm birth and suboptimal fetal development. to try to help people remain healthy.”

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