Priscilla Day PhD

Research summary
I am interested in incorporating experimental data with metabolomic, genomic and proteomic databases in order to understanding pathways involved in placental nutrient metabolism and transfer in relation to fetal growth and the pre-disposition to metabolic syndrome in adulthood.

My work has characterised important pathways through which amino acids are metabolised in the human placenta. I have highlighted the importance of placental glutamine synthesis and how this may influence placental transfer of other amino acids, carbon and nitrogen flux and cellular regulation via the mTOR signalling pathway. As such, I have proposed a new model in which placental metabolism would be incorporated into the current experimentally and mathematically proposed model of net amino acid transfer to the fetus. In Addition I have characterised important modifiable maternal factors that may alter cellular metabolism through changes in placental amino acid metabolic enzyme and transporter gene expression. My long term interests are to understand molecular mechanisms involved in altered placental function and how this pathologically influences both maternal physiology and fetal growth in order to find therapeutic intervention to improve pregnancy outcomes.