My current research projects focus on understanding the development and regulation of endocrine systems in the fetus, and the hormonal control of fetal growth, development and maturation. These studies are examining the bioavailability of hormones in the fetus, in particular, the glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, leptin, insulin-like growth factors and the renin-angiotensin system, and the complex interactions between endocrine systems before birth. I am also investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which these hormones regulate normal fetal development, especially in late gestation when the fetus needs to prepare for the transition at birth. These studies use a range of experimental models, and examine several aspects of fetal physiology, including growth, cardiovascular, lung and renal function, nutrition and metabolism. The research findings have important implications for the understanding of normal fetal growth and development; the consequences of prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation and fetal endocrine disorders; and the mechanisms underlying the developmental programming of adult (patho)physiology.
