Doctoral Dissertation Research: Reproductive-immune trade-offs in preterm birth: a life history perspective

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Evolutionary tradeoffs between mother and offspring, and between reproduction and immune function, are likely to have shaped human life history. This study will investigate such tradeoffs in the context of preterm birth, which is frequently associated with mild infection and/or inflammation, suggesting that physiological compromises between reproduction and the immune system may influence gestation length. The investigators will evaluate placental characteristics, including the placental microbiome, in the context of maternal immune challenge and preterm birth. Project findings may extend current limited knowledge of the role of microbiomes in human physiology and health, specifically at the placental interface. The U.S. ranks alongside South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa in rates of preterm birth, with extreme disparities based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. By considering the evolutionary roots of why immune activation might compromise reproduction, this project will bring a new perspective to a persistent public health problem, and has the potential to inform community health efforts and public health policy. Other broader impacts include undergraduate training and the fostering of interdisciplinary research collaborations.This study of U.S. women will integrate maternal condition, placental function, the placental microbiome, and gestation length within an evolutionary life history framework based on reproductive-immune trade-offs. The investigators will test two hypotheses: 1) that the placental phenotype characterized by reduced size and efficiency, and a distinct microbiome, will be associated with preterm birth, and 2) that this association will depend on maternal systemic inflammation. The results of this research will shed light on the effects of immune activation during pregnancy, and will advance evolutionary perspectives on placental microbiome function and variation, and its role in preterm birth.