van der Post J.A.M.: Reproductive Health, placental disease and maternal and fetal diseases

Placental dysfunction is the cause of gestational diseases like preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and preterm birth. Inappropriate Maternal-Fetal interaction leads to uterine and maternal systemic dysfunction and consequently maternal and fetal disease. Most maternal disease is reversible by delivery, though gestational hypertension is predictive for later onset of cardio vascular disease. Fetal disease like growth retardation and preterm birth may have life long consequences.

The research programme focusses on describing pathways of the placental-specific differentially up-regulated genes in the clinical entities of HELLP/preeclampsia and preterm birth and tries to find

a. disease specific placental bio-markers

c. therapeutics