Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
Showing 101-120 of 1,222 Results
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Y. Katherine Bianco
Clinical Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology - Maternal Fetal Medicine
BioMy clinical interest in pregnancies complicated with birth defects has led my underlying research interests in genomic abnormalities in the human trophoblast carrying to faulty placentation. The latter began with initial work during K12 and KO8 funding. I took a great interest in the human placenta as it carries potential advantages over other tissues sources: first, this highly metabolically active organ is the potential source of many transcripts. Second, the placenta forms at a very early stage of embryonic development, potentially allowing detection of primary alterations as compared to secondary changes that may mask the underlying causal phenomena. Finally, studying early placentation may provide targets for development of novel molecular approaches, such as up-regulate or down-regulate genes, the protein products of which could potentially serve as molecular surrogates for diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy complication such as miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension and intrauterine growth retardation. This work has led to the first Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, trisomy 13 cell lines established from human placentas making it possible to apply gene editing in the early stages of human trophoblast development.
As my primary clinical responsibility involves treating patients needing medical care and support through their high risk pregnancies, I am interested in factors that may impact outcomes, such as prenatal screening and diagnosis, maternal heart conditions, labor and delivery management, and safety approaches for the second stage of labor. In investigating length of labor and approaches to shorten the second stage, I have found methods of improving perinatal outcomes in diverse maternal populations.
With regards to my interest in fetal medicine, I have worked in collaboration with other specialists such as radiologists and pediatric cardiologists utilizing imagining studies to assess and determine successful perinatal care and fetal survival. -
Mahamaya Biswal
Postdoctoral Scholar, Molecular and Cellular Physiology
BioMahamaya is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University, where she specializes in Cellular and structural biology with a focus on membrane protein biogenesis, quality control, and the development of innovative nanobody technologies. Her research integrates advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cell biology, and nanobody engineering to unravel the mechanisms governing the assembly and maturation of membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs with a focus on Voltage gated ion channels as a model substrate.
Dr. Biswal’s scientific journey began with an integrated M.Tech in Biotechnology degree from D.Y. Patil University, India, where she conducted foundational research on bacterial persister cell formation at BARC and characterized breast cancer proteins ZBRK1 and BRCA1 at ACTREC,. After spending a brief time in biotech industry at Yashraj Biotechnology Ltd., Mumbai, optimizing purification pipelines for cancer antigens used in diagnostic kits and facilitating technology transfer from R&D to manufacturing, she moved to US to join UC Riverside’s PhD program under Department of Biochemistry and supervision of Dr. Jikui Song. She made significant advances in understanding the structural dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Notably, she solved the X-ray crystal structure of the NSP7-8 complex, a key cofactor for the viral replicase, and also elucidated the interaction between the viral nucleocapsid protein and human G3BP1. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work has also contributed to studies on viral immune evasion, including the structural basis for STAT2 antagonization by DENV2 NS5.
At Stanford, Dr. Biswal has expanded her expertise to the structural and functional study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and currently focusing on gaining mechanistic insights on Membrane protein biogenesis factor hubs by combining cell biology and structural biology expertise. She is also developing nanobody libraries targeting synaptic vesicles and bacterial death effectors for in situ tomography and potential therapeutic applications respectively. Dr. Biswal is a committed mentor, having supervised graduate and undergraduate students, and is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in science through active involvement in organizations such as AWIS, BioAIMS, and BSS (India). Her scientific contributions have been recognized with honors including the HEERF Dissertation Year Fellowship, the Mary K. and Randolph T. Wedding Prize, and best poster awards at UC Riverside. Dr. Biswal’s long-term vision is to lead a research program that translates structural insights into therapeutic strategies for neurological and infectious diseases, advancing both scientific knowledge and the next generation of scientists. -
Rebecca Blankenburg, MD, MPH
Clinical Professor, Pediatrics
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy educational research interests focus on building a more diverse, inclusive and equitable learning environment and helping develop a sense of belonging, professional identity formation, and competence through longitudinal coaching and scholarly mentorship.
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Helen M. Blau
Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Professor, Director, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology and Professor, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsProf. Helen Blau's research area is regenerative medicine with a focus on stem cells. Her research on nuclear reprogramming and demonstrating the plasticity of cell fate using cell fusion is well known and her laboratory has also pioneered the design of biomaterials to mimic the in vivo microenvironment and direct stem cell fate. Current findings are leading to more efficient iPS generation, cell based therapies by dedifferentiation a la newts, and discovery of novel molecules and therapies.
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Catherine Blish
George E. and Lucy Becker Professor in Medicine
On Partial Leave from 05/01/2026 To 09/30/2026Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe major goal of our research is to gain insight into the prevention and control of HIV and other viral pathogens by studying the interplay between the virus and the host immune response. We investigate the role of various arms of the immune response, but with a particular focus on NK cells. We hope to gain additional insights into control of infectious diseases by studying how pregnancy modulates immune responses.
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Yair Blumenfeld, MD
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Maternal Fetal Medicine)
Current Research and Scholarly Interestsprenatal diagnosis, genetics, clinical obstetrics
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Paul D. Blumenthal, MD, MPH
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Gynecology-Family Planning) at the Stanford University Medical Center, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsImproving Access to Family Planning Services in Low Resource Settings:
Through a collaboration with Population Services International, the Stanford Program for International Reproductive Education and Services (SPIRES) provides technical direction in a program designed to improve access to and uptake of family planning, particularly Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) such as IUDs and implants, in 14 developing countries globally. The first year saw insertion of over 280,000 IUDs. -
Alexandria Boehm
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor of Environmental Studies, Professor of Oceans and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
BioI am interested in pathogens in the environment including their sources, fate, and transport in natural and engineered systems. I am interested in understanding of how pathogens are transmitted to humans through contact with water, feces, and contaminated surfaces. My research is focused on key problems in both developed and developing countries with the overarching goal of designing and testing novel interventions and technologies for reducing the burden of disease.
I am also interested broadly in coastal water quality where my work addresses the sources, transformation, transport, and ecology of biocolloids - specifically fecal indicator organisms, DNA, pathogens, and phytoplankton - as well as sources and fate of nitrogen. This knowledge is crucial to formulating new management policies and engineering practices that protect human and ecosystem health at the coastal margins. -
Matthew Bogyo
Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab uses chemical, biochemical, and cell biological methods to study protease function in human disease. Projects include:
1) Design and synthesis of novel chemical probes for serine and cysteine hydrolases.
2) Understanding the role of hydrolases in bacterial pathogenesis and the human parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii.
3) Defining the specific functional roles of proteases during the process of tumorogenesis.
4) In vivo imaging of protease activity -
Paul Bollyky
Stanford Medicine Professor of Infectious Disease and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsBacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are abundant in the human body. However, their contributions to human health and disease are largely unknown. The Bollyky Lab
studies interactions between phages and both their human and bacterial hosts with the goal of developing innovative strategies to improve human health. -
C. Andrew Bonham, MD, FACS
Associate Professor of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation), Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsTolerance induction in liver transplantation.
Hepatocyte transplantation. -
Anna Booman
Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI)
BioAnna Booman, PhD, MS is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. She conducts perinatal pharmacoepidemiology research to study the safety and effectiveness of medication use during pregnancy, since most pregnant individuals cannot be included in clinical trials. She uses large observational datasets, such as the Merative MarketScan Database, and complex epidemiologic methods in her research.
Dr. Booman received her PhD in Epidemiology from the Oregon Health & Science University School of Public Health, her MS in Computational Biology and Quantitative Genetics from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and her BS in Mathematical Biology (minor: Computer Science) from the College of William & Mary. Her research has spanned many areas of perinatal epidemiology, including a focus on twin children, rare genetic disorders, gestational weight gain, and insurance discontinuity in pregnancy. -
John Boothroyd
Burt and Marion Avery Professor of Immunology, Emeritus
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsUntil its permanent closure in 2025, John Boothroyd's lab focused on the interaction between the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and its mammalian host. We used a combination of molecular and genetic tools to understand how this obligate intracellular parasite can invade almost any cell it encounters, how it co-opts a host cell once inside and how it evades the immune response to produce a life-long, persistent infection.
