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Fistula Repair: Minimally-Invasive Repair of Obstetric Fistula
Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition characterized by an abnormal connection between the female genital tract and the bladder or rectum. It affects more than two million women in Africa and Asia and leads to constant leakage of blood, urine, and stool, causing pain, infection, social ostracization, and physical isolation. Current treatment through reconstructive surgery... -
Vagina-Brain Axis: Treating Hormone Imbalance-Related Diseases
Microbes in our gut have been shown to impact the brain, which is the control center for most of the body’s functions. Research shows that the gut microbiome affects our mood and mental health, including depression. This regulation is called the gut-brain axis. Other organs beyond the gut — including those in the female genital... -
FernScore: Diagnosing bacterial vaginosis for reproductive health
Vaginal infections, especially bacterial vaginosis (BV), are a major concern for women’s health. Current diagnosis methods are subjective and often miss the mark, particularly for asymptomatic women. Researchers have developed a promising new approach using a test that analyzes the fern-like patterns formed when cervical mucus dries on a slide. Healthy mucus forms distinct fern... -
Personalized Contraception
The burden of contraception falls predominantly on women, often causes unpleasant side effects, and can fail if not strictly adhered to. We envision a contraceptive approach that is immediate, non-surgical, reversible, and accessible to both women and men. We’re developing a platform that uses hydrogel “bioblocks” for minimally invasive contraceptive implants, which could allow for... -
Stroma Tx: Safe Pregnancy for IBD Patients
Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are advised to achieve remission before pregnancy, in an effort to decrease pregnancy-related intestinal issues, including fibrosis. Yet the exact mechanisms underlying the fluctuation of their symptoms remain unclear and there are no treatments currently available. To close this knowledge gap, we are treating our IBD Organ Chips with... -
Lymphatics Medicines for Female Health
Lymphedema is a painful condition affecting millions of women worldwide, often caused by surgical treatment of breast and gynecologic cancers, or a biological predisposition. While no medicines are currently available to address lymphatic disease, we are combining a bioengineered human lymphatic-on-chip platform, lymphatic cell biology, and drug development expertise in an interdisciplinary effort to transform... -
Solutions to Preterm Labor
Preterm birth affects over 13 million infants annually and is a leading cause of childhood mortality and lifelong disability. In the U.S., it disproportionately impacts Black infants (14.6%) compared to Hispanic (10.0%) and White (9.4%) infants, leading to severe health issues like cerebral palsy and sensory impairments, and causing trauma for parents. Effective diagnostics and... -
iNodes: Implantable Lymphoid Organs for Ovarian Cancer Therapy
Over 12,000 women die of ovarian cancer every year, yet ovarian cancer receives less than 1% of research funding compared to other solid tumors. Early symptoms can often mimic less serious conditions, and delayed diagnoses mean that 80% of ovarian cancer cases are metastatic at the time of detection. For these patients, the 5-year survival... -
Modeling for UTIs
Our team is developing pre-clinical female urethra and bladder chip models to better understand lower urinary tract organs in support of women’s health and UTI prevention. The cells and cell buffers from these organ chip models will be analyzed for protein differences created by the presence of infection. All results will be analyzed bioinformatically to... -
Metal-Organic Framework Coated Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Imaging in Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a debilitating condition affecting more than 11% of women during their reproductive years, where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing pain and fertility issues. While current treatments predominantly focus on alleviating the pain associated with endometriosis, a comprehensive cure remains elusive. A recent study found that... -
Physiological Mucus-producing Organ-on-a-Chip Model of Human Cervix for Analysis of Host-microbiome Contributions to Vaginal Health
Interactions between a woman’s microbiome and the microenvironment of the reproductive tract are crucial for vaginal health. Disruptions of the microbial balance can lead to conditions like HIV, bacterial vaginosis, miscarriage and preterm birth. Yet current research methods, such as microbial cultures and metagenomic analysis, often fail to replicate the cervicovaginal environment accurately. Our Cervix...