Aleksandra Cwiek

I am interested in placental development, vascularization, and pregnancy complications. Vitamin A deficiency is a known risk factor for placental dysfunction and poor pregnancy outcomes. However, its molecular role in placental development is unknown. I seek to discover the role of retinoic acid in the regulation of placental vascularization and hematopoiesis to gain valuable insights that can ultimately be applied to creating better clinical strategies for detecting and avoiding placental pathologies leading to premature birth or life-threatening preeclampsia.