Jo James

I lead a research team in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Auckland focussed on how healthy placental development occurs, and how and why this goes wrong when babies are born pathologically small. We combine cell-based laboratory experiments, medical imaging, and computational modelling approaches to study healthy and pathological pregnancies in new ways. The aim of this work is to improve how we predict which babies will be born dangerously small, and develop new ways to treat these pregnancies to give them a better start to life. My role also involves teaching both medical and science students about reproduction and pregnancy. I strongly believe in the importance of supporting and developing the next generation of researchers, and am an advocate for women in STEM.