Connell Lab

Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Connell Lab

Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Dr. Kathleen Connell was a scholar in the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program at Yale. Her translational research has focused on regulation of the extracellular matrix and smooth muscle in the uterosacral ligaments (USLs) in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Dr. Connell has also used a mouse model to determine cause and effect relationships of aging, menopause, vaginal delivery on the expression profiles, inflammatory pathways (inflammaging) and biomechanical properties of the USLs. Dr. Connell has also demonstrated contractile properties in the USLs via oxytocin receptors, and is collaborating with Dr. Raj Kumar to establish an animal model which they will correlate with their findings in human USLs to better understand the smooth muscle physiology in these ligaments. She currently holds an R21 award determining the epigenetic signature in USLs in women with POP, using epigenome wide approaches. She also received an award from the University of Colorado’s RNA Biosciences group that will enable her to perform RNAseq on her human USLs. DNA methylation profiles will be correlated with RNA expression comparing women with and without POP. The overarching goal of these projects are to understand the effects of clinical risk factors on the molecular expression, physiology and biomechanical properties of the pelvic support ligaments and to identify unique epigenetic marks, and link them to environmental exposures and genetic variants that may also affect the USLs. Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of POP will lead to more effective, targeted approaches to disease prevention and treatment.

 

Contact Info

Olivia Castillo
Division Administrator
12700 East 19th Avenue
Room 3000D, MS 8613
Aurora, CO 80045

Phone: (303) 724-4144