Evangeline Lovell

My research investigaties how perturbations in the vascular and immune systems lead to pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, and how such complications increase cardiovascular disease susceptibility in postpartum mothers and their offspring. 

Pregnancy is a physiological stress test and complications such as preeclampsia can severely impact the lifelong health of both the mother and fetus. Women who experience preeclampsia are vulnerable to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and an overall shorter lifespan postpartum while children born from preeclamptic pregnancies have an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, neurodevelopmental delay and immune dysfunction. However, the mechanisms underlying these risks and the accelerated development of CVD later in life is unknown. 

The maternal immune system is essential in a healthy pregnancy to promote tolerance and create a tolerogenic environment for the fetus to survive. A specialised subset of immune cells identified as regulatory T (Treg) cells are essential to maintain homeostasis and prevent anti-fetal immunity. In some cases of preeclampsia, Treg cells are deficient or dysfunctional which can impair uteroplacental adaptations required to facilitate healthy placental development and fetal growth. Our research aims to explore how alterations to the maternal immune profile in early pregnancy can significantly influence the long-term cardiometabolic health of mothers and their offspring.