My post-graduate training and subsequent academic career in the UK and Toronto, Canada, now spanning 38 years, has been characterized by a focus on basic science, translational and clinical research aspects of “placentology”; an emerging discipline within Maternal-Fetal Medicine dedicated towards understanding the basis of the major placental dysfunction disorders so as to improve clinical outcomes.

Since 1999 I have developed a multidisciplinary “placenta clinic” at a major academic perinatal center, served as MFM fellowship director in Canada’s largest program for 10 years, and moved on through the MFM Division Head position to become Chair of OBGYN since July 2013. I therefore bring to the project not only my advanced clinical skills in management of complex pregnancies (for research recruitment, antenatal and delivery management), but also a range of translational research experience at this top-5 ranked Medical School for the past 23 years.

I am an acknowledged leader in fetal/placental imaging in screening and management of major placental complications, especially preeclampsia and FGR. I am actively involved in training MFM fellows and graduate students and post-docs, who focus on these pregnancy complications in their chosen research.

I have a sustained interest and publication track record in all major placental complications, and hold several cross appointments in Physiology, Medical Imaging and in Pathology, so as to contribute these dimensions to the proposal at a competitive level. My peer-reviewed grant activity, including a recent five-year Human Placenta project grant from the NIH (PI John Sled) and my publication productivity attest to these skills.

I enjoy creative academic writing and mentorship of senior trainees and junior faculty, and so bring these additional skills to multidisciplinary research proposals such as this.