Our Board
President
Claire Kendal-Wright
(PhD)
Dr. Claire Kendal-Wright is a Professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, in Honolulu, and Associate Chair for Research and Innovation in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health. She directs the Fetal Membrane Integrity Laboratory and serves as President of the Fetal Membrane Society. Her lab studies how inflammation weakens human fetal membranes. She is particularly interested in how amnion cells initiate sterile inflammation that drives the breakdown of this tissue, and how fetal sex influences this process.
Vice-President
Shajila Siricilla
(PhD)
Dr. Shajila Siricilla is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research focuses on identifying novel therapeutic agents to manage infection-induced preterm birth (specifically PPROM) and protect the fetus against in-utero inflammation. She employs large-scale screening of customized molecule libraries targeting the druggable transcriptome associated with infection-induced inflammation leading to preterm birth.
Treasurer
John Moore
(MD, PhD)
Dr Moore heads the Division of Neonatology at Case Western Reserve and holds a keen interest on the correlation of the mechanical properties of the fetal membranes with biochemical characteristics. In particular, he and his team have pioneered the use of biomechanics as a tool to tease out important biochemical reactions related to fetal membrane weakening and rupture. Dr Moore's research interests lie in the understanding of fetal membrane rupture and preterm premature rupture, as well as therapeutic agents, such as alpha lipoic acid, to inhibit the necessary pathways.
Secretary General
Tina Chowdhury
(BSc, MSc, PhD, PGCAP, SFHEA)
Dr. Tina Chowdhury, a Reader in Regenerative Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, is a pioneering research focused on repairing fetal membranes to prevent preterm prelabor rupture of the membrane (PPROM), a significant cause of preterm birth. Her team has identified the protein connexin 43 (Cx43) as a key factor in the impaired healing of fetal membrane, discovering that reducing Cx43 levels can enhance tissue repair processes. Utilizing advanced bioengineering tools, they have developed innovative methods to test and understand the mechanical and biological mechanisms involved in fetal membrane healing.
Social Media Liaison
Ananth kumar Kammala
(M.Pharm, Ph.D)
Dr. Ananth Kumar Kammala is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, and Director of the Molecular Pharmacology Program in the Division of Basic Science and Translational Research. His lab leads the Quantitative Systems Reproductive Pharmacology (QSRP) program, which integrates computational biology, PBPK/QSP modeling, and AI-driven approaches to predict drug safety and exposure during pregnancy. He is particularly interested in combining these computational models with organ-on-chip systems of the feto-maternal interface and engineered extracellular vesicle (EV) therapeutics to develop safer treatments for preterm birth.
Strategic Advisor
Lauren Richardson
(Ph.D)
Dr. Lauren Richardson is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, and Director of the Tissue Engineering and Reproductive Biology Program in the Division of Basic Science and Translational Research. Her lab develops organ-on-chip and microphysiological system models of the human feto-maternal interface. She is particularly interested in using these engineered platforms to study how cell communication and inflammation at the feto-maternal interface contribute to preterm birth, and to test the safety and efficacy of drugs used during pregnancy.