Basic Science Research Training

Active areas of research:

• Fetal and neonatal growth and metabolism:

-     Past and ongoing studies address glucose and protein metabolism in the normal fetus and newborn, and more recent studies have focused more on the growth-restricted fetus. These studies attempt to define perturbations that cause growth restriction and identify potential therapies that might reverse these perturbations.  Additional studies in micronutrient deficiencies and its effect on the preterm infant are underway as well.  Investigation may include whole animal physiologic studies supported by investigation at the cellular and biochemical level.

-      Faculty:  Laura Brown MD, Eileen Chang PhD, Stephanie Chassen MD, Paul Rozance MD, Jane Stremming MD, Stephanie Wesolowski PhD, Alicia White MD, Natarajan Balasubramaniya PhD, Tristan Dear MD

• Lung growth and development, particularly pulmonary vascular growth and function.

-     These physiologic and molecular studies have led to several ongoing clinical trials, including a number of important studies on the applications of inhaled nitric oxide in newborn medicine.

-     Faculty: Cassidy Delaney, MD, Erica Mandell MD, Clyde Wright MD, Evgenia Dobrinskikh PhD, Michael Cookson MD, Jamie Archambault, MD

• Neonatal Lung Injury and Repair

-     Evaluation of the sex-specific mechanisms of neonatal hyperoxic lung injury to aid in development of individualized therapies to improve outcomes for preterm infants. 

-     Faculty: Krithika Lingappan, MD, PhD, MS

• Neonatal brain injury related to seizures and stroke and intrauterine growth restriction

-     Faculty:  Robert Dietz MD PhD, Jill Chang MD

• Mechanisms and consequences of normal and abnormal placentation

-      Faculty:  Theresa Powell PhD

Potential Resources:

• Perinatal Research Center

  -    The PRC is a freestanding 24,000 square foot facility on the CU-AMC campus utilized for perinatal research using the pregnant sheep model and mouse models. The PRC has been a leading center for research in fetal and placental physiology since its official establishment in 1980 and its earlier incarnations dating to the early 1960’s. Research by Faculty at the PRC primarily involves reproductive and developmental physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
  

• Pediatric Heart Lung Center

  -    A multidisciplinary group of pulmonologists, neonatologists, cardiologists, and intensivists interested in understanding how the lung normally develops and functions and on the mechanisms that underlie disorders such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

• Program in Molecular Biology
• Program in Developmental Biology
• University of Colorado Cancer Center
• Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes