My research focus is the role of the perinatal environment in the developmental programming of vital organs, and overall my research goals are to better characterise and prevent adverse life-long outcomes associated with perinatal adversity. 

During my PhD I investigated how early life stress disrupts the inhibitory and excitatory balance in the developing brain leading to dysregulation of vital neurodevelopmental processes such as myelination. I examined how these disruptions may program life-long functional behavioural disorders such as anxiety and attention deficit hyperactive disorder and employed novel therapeutics to prevent adverse outcomes.

In my current role at UCL I am working on understanding the developmental programming of the cardiovascular system following pregnancy complications. Offspring of women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to experience cardiac dysfunction in fetal and later life. The project will examine the mechanistic role of circulating microRNA-142 in pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity with fetal cardiac dysfunction and will explore potential therapeutic avenues.