The Franklin will be holding a seminar given by Professor Rohan Lewis on Thursday the 20th February from 10:30-11:30.
To watch the seminar online, please sign up on the Eventbrite.
Further details on this seminar are included below.
Talk title:
Modelling physiological processes within 3D placental nanostructure
Abstract:
The placenta mediates physiological exchange between the mother and fetus, and is essential for healthy development. Despite sharing a single evolutionary origin and conserved functions, the mammalian placenta exhibits remarkable structural diversity. Its structural diversity spans across biological scales, from the whole organ to cellular nanostructure responsible for nutrient exchange. The evolutionary drivers of this structural variation, and the way structure interacts with function, is poorly understood. To address this, physiological processes can be computationally modelled within the bounds of actual 3D tissue architectures reconstructed from 3D microscopy. This approach simulates, visualises, and quantifies how 3D placental nanostructures influence physiological processes. Such models can then be compared between species and counterfactual theoretical structures to shed light on the structural diversity of the mammalian placenta.
Biography:
Rohan Lewis is a Professor of Placental and Integrative Physiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. He leads the Placental Research Laboratory, where his team investigates how the placenta supports the growth of a healthy fetus and how placental dysfunction can affect health throughout life.
The Placental Research Group adopts an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to understanding placental function. Their research combines laboratory studies of transport and metabolism with advanced 3D imaging and computational modeling. Collaborations with experts in Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics allow the team to explore the mechanisms underlying specific placental functions and how these mechanisms interact to create a functioning placenta capable of supporting a healthy pregnancy.
The group is also involved in large-scale population studies, including the Southampton Women’s Survey and the MAVIDOS study. These projects aim to uncover how environmental factors influence placental development and how placental function impacts health after birth, contributing to a better understanding of long-term health trajectories.