UPENN AHA-SURE/ SARNOFF FELLOW - Summer Research Program (6 points)
Did you know that women are at risk of heart failure from maternal complications for up to five months postpartum?
Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a type of heart failure that occurs during the last month of pregnancy or within the first five months after giving birth. It affects between 1 in 300 and 1 in 3,000 pregnancies, with geographic hotspots showing higher incidences, such as Nigeria and Haiti. In the United States, Black women are four times more likely to develop PPCM compared to White women, and the mortality rate is also highest among Black women. This summer, I had the unique opportunity to conduct research on PPCM in one of the few specialized labs dedicated to studying this disease globally: Zoltan Arany’s Lab.
My project, titled "Placenta-Heart Cross Talk in Pregnancy," focused on understanding cardiac remodeling during a healthy pregnancy. The transient physiological cardiac hypertrophy, increased cardiac output, and maternal blood volume that begin in the second trimester and peak in the third trimester to support fetal growth and development are not well understood. This lack of understanding complicates the study of pathological cardiac growth and related issues. During my ten weeks at the UPENN Cardiovascular Institute, I examined how two placental-secreted IGFBP proteases, ADAM-12 and PAPPA-2, mediate cardiac hypertrophy during pregnancy. This placenta-heart cross-talk could provide critical insights into the importance of effective placentation during early gestation. Additionally, my work provided pilot data that served as the foundation for future experiments that will analyze the potential dual effects of these proteases and cardiac angiogenic imbalances in late gestation on the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
In addition to my research, I had the chance to shadow various doctors, particularly in OB/GYN, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Cardiology fields. I observed the UPENN maternal cardiac clinic, which assists and guides pregnant women at higher risk for cardiac complications.. At just 27 years old, the trauma from that past pregnancy and the high risk that she faced during her recent pregnancy underscored how what we do in the lab work impacts real people and how easy it is to overlook the individuals behind the statistics. My conversation with her reminded and reinforced my belief that my contributions in the lab could one day contribute to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms and the identification of a biological marker for the development of this cardiac complication.
Through my involvement in this project, I learned new laboratory techniques and the critical process and essence of troubleshooting skills as a scientist. While challenging at first, I immersed myself in the exciting rigor of research learning western blots, ICC, and many others. Being a part of a large lab filled with graduate students and post-docs was also eye-opening, showcasing the vast scope of biomedical research and its potential achievements. This experience further solidified my aspirations to become a physician-scientist. Lastly, I got to explore Philadelphia visiting the annual Chinese Lantern festival, the Philadelphia Art Museum, amongst many other places.
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