Integrative analysis of human placental epi/genome in relation to fetal growth

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The goal of this proposal is to integrate multi-scale epi/genomic placental molecular features and relate this to fetal growth to provide mechanism insight into the contribution of the placenta to the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). I am a molecular epidemiologist with a primary research interest in understanding inter-individual differences in disease risk and how early-life exposures can influence these differences. In the K99 phase, I trained in integrative genomics and bioinformatics, early-life epidemiology, and placental biology and pathology with the help of my mentors and advisors Drs. Ke Hao, Jia Chen, Carmen Marsit and Dr. Harvey Kliman. The aims of this research are: 1) to construct an integrative epi/genomic catalogue of term placentas; 2) to characterize cell-type specific DNA methylome and transcriptome to construct a cell-type reference panel for human term placenta and 3) to evaluate the influence of placental molecular features on birth weight. In this proposal, I leverage existent epi/genomic and epidemiological data from the Rhode Island Birth Cohort Study and placental cell-type specific epi/genomics profiles with the overarching goal of mapping placental molecular features involved in birth weight and DOHaD. The knowledge gained through this research has the potential to inform more broadly on the influence of the intrauterine environment on health throughout the lifespan and develop placental biomarkers to inform disease prevention.