Molly Elizabeth Richardson

PhD thesis:

The Role of Maternal Secretions in Perimplantation Mammalian Development

Over half of all pregnancies are lost in the first couple of weeks. During this critical period, the embryo implants into the uterine wall to form the placenta and allow for further fetal development. Maternal uterine secretions are important in modulating the embryonic microenvironment. However, the precise composition and role of these secretions in early embryogenesis remain unknown. This has limited our ability to diagnose and treat the 1 in 7 couples in the UK who struggle with infertility.

During my PhD, I will use primate embryonic stem cells to develop a womb-like platform perfused with capillary-like vessels. This will allow me to precisely stage the perimplantation period and functionally interrogate the reliance of the embryo on maternal secretions from a metabolic and signalling perspective. I aim to delineate the impact of maternal lifestyle and pathologies on the uterine secretome and assess how this impacts implantation success and embryo viability.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

For my 15th birthday I got a signed photo of David Attenborough. Since then, it has been proudly placed in every room I have inhabited. My constant astonishment at the beauty of the natural world has not waned since my infatuation with ‘Blue Planet’, but has been bolstered by my favourite biological model: The mammalian embryo. In a few weeks, a single fertilised egg can form a highly organised blastocyst that is capable of forming a person. I believe that untangling this phenomenon requires a highly interdisciplinary approach allowing me to repurpose my many scientific interests.