Cardiology Research Groups
Kalisch-Smith Group
Research Aims & Objectives
To understand how placental blood vessels are formed:
The feto-placental vasculature is required to deliver nutrients from the mother to the growing embryo and fetus.
Our broad aim is to understand the biology of early placental blood vessels – their form, expression profiles and fate from precursors, and if they are impacted by pregnancy-associated perturbations.
By understanding how these placental vessels are formed, we hope to offer new insights into potential treatments for pregnancy complications including miscarriage, congenital heart disease, fetal growth restriction and stillbirth.
Details of research interests
What genes control placental blood vessel formation in mice and humans?
We will create a molecular map of placental vascular development using unbiased transcriptomics and histology for RNA and protein levels. Placental blood vessel networks will be imaged by light-sheet microscopy and modelled in 3D to understand structure and blood flow.
Creation of new genetic tools to investigate placental vascular development
Using new transcriptomic sequencing datasets in the mouse, we will find new genes to target the placental vessels. Using these new tools, we can use them to delete specific genes in placental endothelial cells without affecting other cell types. We are particularly interested in how placental vascular defects cause embryonic heart defects.
What maternal and fetal disorders impact human placental vascular development?
We will collect maternal data from human pregnancies including maternal age, ethnicity, nutrition (e.g. iron deficiency), diseases (diabetes, hypertension) and fetal disorders like fetal heart defects to understand what disorders impact placental vascular formation in humans, and when this occurs in pregnancy.
Group Leader
Collaborators
Collaborators - Oxford:
- Sarah De Val
- Nicola Smart
- Shankar Srinivas
- Sally Collins, Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health (NDWH)
- Sam Mathewlynn, Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health (NDWH)
Collaborators - External:
- Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, University of Cambridge
Funders
- British Heart Foundation (BHF)
- Oxford BHF Centre of Research Excellence
Our Place in the IDRM Community
The IDRM has a strong cardiovascular development focus, so is the best place for our group to investigate how placental blood vessels grow. Many genes expressed in the embryo are also expressed in the placenta, and placental defects can lead to embryonic demise. This is particularly relevant with the placenta-heart axis, as both organs are connected by blood flow, with placental defects causing heart defects and vice versa. We therefore have a complementary focus with other groups investigating embryonic cardiovascular development and disease outcomes.
Dr Kalisch-Smith is a member of the DPAG Athena Swan Training and Career Development working group (TCDWG) where we organise a 'Lunch and Learn' seminar series for training and career development for DPAG/IDRM members.
The lab presented our work to the IDRM Teacher's Residential in 2025, to help secondary school teachers to encourage their students to apply to the University of Oxford.
Public Engagement
Host for women in science tour (2023, 2024)
I hosted students from Brigham University (Utah, USA) at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford. I shared my research interests, career aspirations, experience of working internationally and as a female in STEM.