Tell us about your current research project...
One active area of research interest is how and why MS is affected by pregnancy. It has been shown that a history of pregnancy delays MS onset and has a protective effect against disability accrual. This effect lasts for years beyond the pregnancy itself. One of my goals is to clarify the prevalence and relevance of foetal-maternal microchimaerism in women with MS. Foetal-maternal microchimaerism refers to the presence in low concentrations of foetal cells or DNA in maternal blood or tissues, which occurs as a consequence of pregnancy. These microchimaeric cells can be detected in the maternal bloodstream not only during gestation, but in some women persistently for many decades afterwards. It can be seen in both health and disease, but little is known about this phenomenon in women with MS. I aim to compare methods to detect foetally-derived microchimaeric cells in women with MS, and to examine what role these cells might have in mediating the effects of pregnancy on MS outcomes.