An award from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine is supporting the research of UConn Health’s Dr. Kristen Moriarty in the area of preeclampsia and intraplacental gene therapy.
Moriarty, who is in the final year of her seven-year maternal-fetal medicine fellowship, recently accepted the SMFM’s Outstanding Early Career Investigator Travel Award.
The honor recognizes quality, originality, and scientific merit of a submitted research abstract, in this case, Moriarity’s “Intraplacental Gene Transfer of IGF-1 Corrects Preeclampsia in BPH/5 Mouse.” Under the mentorship of Dr. Timothy Crombleholme, professor of surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology at the UConn School of Medicine and director of Connecticut Children’s Fetal Care Center, Moriarty has been studying developing a novel therapeutic approach for preeclampsia using placenta-targeted gene therapy, testing the effectiveness IGF-1, a hormone similar to insulin, in mouse models.
“I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Moriarty for the past two years as her mentor on her master’s program, the focus of which has been groundbreaking work on the development of placental gene therapy in a mouse model of preeclampsia,” Crombleholme says. “Dr. Moriarty is certainly deserving of this award given the innovative nature of her work and the insight provided for developing new approaches to the treatment of preeclampsia.”
Preeclampsia is a condition during pregnancy and postpartum associated with a number of symptoms, usually including high blood pressure. It can lead to serious complications that threaten the health of both mother and baby.
“Receiving this award is deeply meaningful to me,” Moriarty says. “It represents recognition of the work and dedication I have put into advancing research in maternal-fetal medicine. As an early-career investigator, this acknowledgment encourages me to continue asking important questions and striving to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. I am grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and patients who have supported and inspired my work.”
Dr. Andrea Shields has been mentoring Moriarty as her fellowship director for the last five years.
“It has been a privilege to watch Dr. Moriarty grow into an exceptional physician-scientist.” Shields says. “Her dedication to advancing our understanding of placental disease and improving outcomes for mothers and babies embodies the spirit of this award. She was recognized for her innovative research exploring placental gene therapy approaches for the treatment of preeclampsia. Seeing her work honored on the national stage is both well-deserved and deeply inspiring.”
The Society presented Moriarty with the $1,000 award at its annual pregnancy meeting last month in Las Vegas.
Upon graduation from her UConn fellowship, Moriarty will continue her research at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.
