Normal pregnancy represents a unique, transient, and dynamic state of altered anatomy, physiology, and immune function. Preterm birth, i.e., before 37 weeks of gestation, occurs in approximately 11% of pregnancies and is the leading cause of neonatal death. In both term and preterm pregnancies, the interplay between the microbiota and the host remains poorly understood. The human indigenous microbial communities (microbiota) play critical roles in health and may be especially important for mother and fetus during pregnancy. We are interested in understanding how the microbiome helps to shape maternal health and fetal development during pregnancy, and how pregnancy shapes the microbiome.

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Arsenic (As) contamination of soils and water occurs worldwide-including in the U.S.-originating from both environmental and anthropogenic sources. Naturally-occurring alluvial As contaminates groundwater in South and Southeast Asia, and has caused wide-scale poisoning of a susceptible and malnourished populace. Chronic As exposure affects over 25 million people in Bangladesh alone. Industrial sources of arsenic-e.g., arsenic-containing pesticides in agriculture-also contribute to global exposure. In the United States, As tops the hazardous substance priority list of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registries, and 13 million Americans are exposed to levels exceeding the US Water Quality Standards.

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