Motherhood Channel (Audio)

UCTV Health & Medicine

Expecting a new bundle of joy? From the first kicks to the first months, the Motherhood Channel is your trusted source to provide in-depth information from UC San Diego experts focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year of life.

  1. AUG 25

    Reproductive Immunology

    Ina Stelzer, Ph.D., explores how the maternal immune system adapts to support a healthy pregnancy and how disruptions can lead to complications like preterm birth. Her lab identifies early immune changes linked to spontaneous preterm birth and investigates the role of the maternal brain in regulating immune responses. Stelzer uses advanced technologies like mass cytometry and spatial proteomics to map immune and molecular changes in pregnancy, integrating these data with transcriptomics and mouse models. Her team studies how antidepressants affect immune signaling during pregnancy and examines the impact of social and behavioral factors. These insights may reveal biomarkers and therapeutic targets for improving maternal and fetal health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40773]

    6 min

  2. AUG 22

    Glycobiology (GLOW)

    Amanda Lewis, Ph.D. investigates how glycan-degrading enzymes contribute to bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common condition linked to infertility, preterm birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, and increased cancer risk. Her research shows that BV-associated bacteria strip protective sugar coatings—glycans—from vaginal epithelial cells, disrupting normal function and increasing vulnerability to infection. Lewis and her team study specific enzymes, such as sialidases, that remove sialic acid from glycoproteins and mucins. Using clinical samples and imaging techniques, they identify how these changes in glycan composition correlate with disease severity. Their work reveals how glycan degradation contributes to persistent or recurrent BV and opens new pathways for understanding the microbiome's role in women’s health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40678]

    14 min

  3. AUG 18

    Imaging in Gynecologic Disorders

    Rebecca Rakow Penner, M.D., Ph.D., is a body and breast imaging radiologist and MRI physicist advancing how pelvic pain and gynecologic cancers are diagnosed through imaging. She highlights how MRI is improving the detection of endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, venous disorders, and pelvic floor dysfunction with enhanced resolution and motion-sensitive techniques. Rakow Penner also works on new MRI-based protocols that may reduce the need for contrast agents in evaluating breast and ovarian cancer. Through innovative modeling techniques like restriction spectrum imaging, she explores how to differentiate cancerous tissue from post-treatment effects, aiming to improve treatment assessment for cervical and ovarian cancer. Her collaborations span clinical, engineering, and pathology teams. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40673]

    15 min

  4. AUG 7

    Alzheimer's Disease in Women: Why Sex Differences Matter

    Sarah Banks, Ph.D. explores why Alzheimer's disease affects women differently than men, emphasizing distinct patterns in tau pathology, cognitive testing bias, and treatment response. She explains how women tend to show a rapid buildup of tau during early cognitive decline, which may contribute to their higher prevalence of Alzheimer's. Banks also highlights how common diagnostic tools may overlook symptoms in women and how approved treatments may offer less benefit for them. Her research at UC San Diego investigates key sex-based differences in risk factors, including sleep apnea, diabetes, and exercise. One study reveals that over 70% of participating women had undiagnosed sleep apnea. Another focuses on Black women, using blood biomarkers to identify overlooked risks and improve care. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40768]

    5 min

  5. AUG 4

    Single-Cell and Spatial Multi-Omic Insights into the Human Placenta (HUBMAP)

    Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph.D., presents new insights into placental biology using cutting-edge molecular and imaging technologies. As part of the NIH-funded Human Biomolecular Atlas Program, her research focuses on mapping the structure and function of the placenta across gestation. By combining bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and imaging mass cytometry, Laurent and collaborators identify key differences in cell types and gene expression associated with pregnancy stages and labor. Her team highlights how specific cells like syncytiotrophoblasts and extravillous trophoblasts evolve over time and interact with maternal tissue. This integrated approach offers an unprecedented view of placental development and lays the groundwork for understanding reproductive health and disease. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40670]

    20 min

  6. AUG 4

    The MOM-Health Study and the Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD) Consortium

    Marni Jacobs, Ph.D., M.P.H., presents the MOM Health Study, part of the NIH's Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD) Consortium, which investigates hypertensive disorders of pregnancy—such as preeclampsia—and their impact on postpartum health. The study aims to uncover the biological mechanisms linking these conditions to long-term maternal outcomes like stroke and heart disease. Unlike other disease sites, participants are enrolled before outcomes are known, allowing researchers to track 750 pregnancies through delivery and one year postpartum. Data collection includes surveys, biospecimens, placental tissue, and continuous blood pressure monitoring. By integrating clinical, environmental, and molecular data, the study supports early detection strategies and collaborative research to improve maternal health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40671]

    10 min

  7. JUL 28

    Human Milk Institute (HMI)

    Lars Bode, Ph.D., presents the Human Milk Institute at UC San Diego, the world’s first research center dedicated entirely to human milk. Established in 2022, the institute connects molecular research with clinical practice, community outreach, and public health. It unites multiple programs under one umbrella, including a milk bank for preterm infants, a biorepository, lactation education, and a rapid response team that helped inform WHO breastfeeding guidelines during COVID-19. The institute promotes collaboration across disciplines such as biology, engineering, social science, and public health. Through initiatives like the Human Milk Analytics Core, it advances maternal and infant health while highlighting the broader public health importance of breastfeeding. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40770]

    6 min

  8. JUL 28

    Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome in Reproductive Age Women

    Jennifer Anger, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. investigates interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, with a focus on improving care through research on sex, gender, and health disparities. Using Veterans Affairs (VA) data, Anger challenges the outdated belief that IC predominantly affects women. She explores how comorbidities such as PTSD and depression, common among veterans, influence bladder pain, and examines how factors like exercisJennifer Anger, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. uses VA data to study interstitial cystitis.. She examines links between bladder pain, PTSD, depression, diet, and disparities to improve care across all gender identities.e, diet, and neighborhood deprivation impact symptoms. By including both cis and trans women as well as men, Anger seeks to advance more inclusive, data-driven understanding and treatment of IC across all populations. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40675]

    5 min
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Expecting a new bundle of joy? From the first kicks to the first months, the Motherhood Channel is your trusted source to provide in-depth information from UC San Diego experts focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and the first year of life.

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