The BHF fellowship will enable her to investigate the ‘Genetic regulation and patterning of the placental vasculature in development, miscarriage and congenital heart disease'. Jacinta's award follows on from her two-year BHF Oxford CRE intermediate fellowship which is designed to prepare researchers to compete effectively for external career development awards.
The new five-year award will allow Jacinta to establish an independent research group to investigate how placental blood vessels form in mice and humans, and how they impact pregnancy and neonatal cardiovascular disorders. These include miscarriage, congenital heart defects, stillbirth and reduced birth weightJacinta will generate new genetic tools to target the placental vasculature and uncover essential genetic regulators of their development. Ultimately, this fellowship will lead to understanding the basic mechanisms of placental formation which can be used to determine the aetiology of placental and embryonic demise in mice and humans. She says of her award "I am really excited for the next 5 years to explore the placental vasculature and am incredibly grateful to the BHF for their support".