Kent Thornburg, Ph.D., is the M. Lowell Edwards Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor of medicine, in the Knight Cardiovascular Institute at OHSU. He holds joint professorships in the departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Biomedical Engineering, and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Thornburg is interim director of the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute and director of both the Center for Developmental Health and the Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness. He studies the physiological adaptations to pregnancy and the roles of maternal diet and body composition in regulating placental and fetal growth and lifelong health and is known around the world for his expertise in cardiac and pulmonary physiology, placentology and developmental programming.

Terry Morgan, M.D., Ph.D., holds professorships in the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biomedical Engineering. His primary research is in determining how uteroplacental vascular remodeling during pregnancy affects blood flow to the placenta, leading to common maternal pregnancy complications and fetal programming of adult-onset disease in offspring. Another area of research is in developing and validating new methods to screen patient blood samples for cell- and size-specific extracellular vesicles (EVs) for diagnostics and sorting of EVs for further biomarker development. Dr. Morgan is director of the Cytopathology Fellowship Program.

Tessa Roseboom, Ph.D., is a professor of early development and health at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Dr. Roseboom will talk about the fundamental importance of nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life. Her studies of men and women exposed to the Dutch famine of 1944-45 showed that poor nutrition during periods of critical growth and development had lasting consequences for the structure and function of the organs developing at that time.

Lessons learned from this unique historical study can be applied to current-day situations of poor nutrition in early life, including those associated with extreme nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, as well as overweight and obesity in pregnancy and postpartum, or instances in which prenatal nutrition is hampered by poor placental function due to illness, smoking or air pollution.

Paolo Rinaudo, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He researches embryo development before implantation and the long-term health effects of pre-implantation embryo manipulation. The Rinaudo Laboratory focuses on understanding how in vitro fertilization and in vitro culture during the pre-implantation period affects fetal and adult development. Fetal adaptations to adverse conditions in utero can lead to specific diseases in the adult, including diabetes, high blood pressure and coronary heart disease - as explained through the science of DOHaD. This has been extrapolated back to pre-implantation development and has particular relevance in light of the widespread use of artificial reproductive techniques (ART). As of now, more than 8 million children have been conceived by ART.

Leslie Myatt, Ph.D., FRCOG, is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, endowed professor and deputy director of the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute of Nutrition & Wellness, and director of perinatal research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the OHSU School of Medicine. Dr. Myatt is internationally known for his research, which applies basic science approaches to clinical problems in perinatology — including preeclampsia, preterm birth and gestational diabetes. His research interests are 1) the effects of maternal obesity, gestational diabetes and sexual dimorphism on mitochondrial respiration in the placenta and their relationship to epigenetic regulation of placental function and fetal programming, and 2) autocrine/paracrine mechanisms in fetal membranes involved in parturition. He is the principal investigator of the Global Pregnancy Collaboration (CoLab), which works with maternal and fetal medicine researchers around the globe to facilitate research addressing adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Paula Amato, M.D., is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology who specializes in caring for patients with infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome and menopausal issues. Her research focuses on germline gene therapy. The science of reproduction and partnering with patients to achieve their family-building goals are what inspired Dr. Amato to pursue a career in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.