Faculty

Michelle Oyen’s research covers mechanical factors in preterm birth, with a view towards designing interventions for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

The Amargant i Riera Lab uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate how biochemical and biomechanical signaling from the ovary regulates folliculogenesis and oocyte quality, and whether these mechanisms are altered in reproductive-associated diseases such as PCOS and aging.

In his work as a neuroscientist, Dennis Barbour has devised new approaches to probing complex problems and making scientific inferences, particularly in cases where mechanism is unclear and/or uncertainty is high. These approaches conceptually align with the need for clinicians to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. Application of these tools to maternal health offers a great opportunity to validate them in real-world scenarios while also benefitting the field of maternal medicine.

The Bersi Lab is interested in better understanding the role of structural proteins (e.g., collagen and elastin) and the function of specific cell types (e.g., smooth muscle and fibroblasts) in the remodeling of pelvic floor tissues in health and disease. Using a combination of ex vivo mechanical testing approaches and in vitro cell culture, the lab is investigating the biomechanics and mechanobiology associated with pelvic organ prolapse.