Placental Research Symposium Unites Science and Community to Advance Maternal Health
Not even rain could dampen the enthusiasm of the scientists, clinicians, doulas, and community members who gathered for the “Connecting Cells to Community” research symposium at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Millberry Union Conference Center.
The event focused on the human placenta (the organ that connects mother and baby during pregnancy), with presentations on current scientific studies, fundamentals, and connecting the community to research.
Groundbreaking Research Presentations
The headlining presentation came from Dr. Jingjing Li, whose lab at UCSF has been working with the California Preterm Birth Initiative, a program within the Center for Birth Justice (CBJ), as well as teams of scientists from Stanford and Washington University in St. Louis, to map the cells in the human placenta across populations with different ancestries. The Determining Pregnancy Complications Across Diverse Ancestries (Placenta Atlas) research project mapped cell profiles and activity found in placentas from 80 individuals of African American, Latinx, and East Asian ancestries
The labs sequenced almost half a million single cells from various parts of diverse placentas, with a focus on the maternal side, which has traditionally been more challenging to isolate and study. Previous research had largely examined the placenta’s fetal side and individuals of white ancestry. The study is filling a necessary gap as part of a larger, global project called the Human Cell Atlas.
Researchers aimed to gain higher-resolution insights into biological activities through single-cell RNA sequencing, a novel method that can detect rare cells and shifts in behavior or function. Through the placental study, Dr. Li and his collaborators gained a deeper understanding of potential mechanisms underlying pregnancy complications that disproportionately affect certain communities and genealogies, which will be outlined in a series of research papers slated for publication next year.
The symposium also featured Stanford Medicine professors and co-researchers on the Placenta Atlas Project, Dr. Virginia Winn and Dr. Gary Shaw. Winn offered fundamental biological insights with “Human Placenta 101,” and Shaw explored critical connections between placental health, population disparities, and pregnancy outcomes. There was also an insightful video presentation on placenta research in Nigeria from Dr. Idowu A. Aimola, an Africa Postdoctoral Training Initiative Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria.
Science Meets Community Impact
The symposium went beyond traditional academic presentations by featuring a seminar on strategies for accessible research communication for scientists, led by Areca Smit, Executive Director of CBJ. The discussion provided practical ways for researchers to connect with the community when writing about themselves and their work. Lucia Lainez, an Atlas Community Advisory Board (Atlas CAB) member, led the group in a “Pregnant Pause” movement activity, simulating the labor process through dance, joy, reflection, and collective connection into the academic space.
For the first time, CBJ trained six diverse community facilitators, including Atlas CAB members, to showcase their newly developed Community Engagement Toolkit for scientists, birth workers, and community advocates. The hands-on workshop guided participants through several interactive research scenarios, followed by a discussion on how to place community partnership at its core.
The day fostered new connections between researchers and community members, a lively exchange of information, and cutting-edge insights into the field of placental science. Everyone left having learned new techniques for making scientific discovery more accessible and community-centered, and a deeper appreciation for the role of the placenta in maternal health.