Q&A with Dr Natasha de Alwis

Can blocking a key driver of inflammation in preeclampsia reduce long-term maternal cardiovascular disease risk?

What are you currently researching?

I am researching preeclampsia, a serious complication that can occur during pregnancy. It involves persistent high blood pressure and increases a woman's risk of heart disease later in life. There is currently no definitive cure for preeclampsia, with the most effective option being the delivery of the baby and placenta. Although this step is sometimes necessary to safeguard the health of both mother and child, it can require premature birth which has associated challenges. There are a few management options to control the high blood pressure during pregnancy, but these have limited effectiveness and do not seem to prevent long-term damage to the heart.

My research is looking at a class of medications called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. These medicines reduce inflammation, which is usually elevated in preeclampsia. These medicines are already safely used during pregnancy for other conditions such as chronic inflammatory diseases.

My research project will use tissues and cells from human blood vessels, and animal models, to test whether these TNF inhibitors can treat preeclampsia. We are also testing if they can protect the heart and blood vessels during pregnancy. This could help reduce the risk of heart disease later in life for women who have had preeclampsia.

What difference will your research make to people’s cardiovascular health in Australia?

This research will give us important data to support testing TNF inhibitors as a treatment for preeclampsia in human clinical trials. If successful, this could be a major step forward, bringing new hope to the countless women affected, and improving long-term cardiovascular health following a preeclamptic pregnancy.

What motivated you to do your research?

Complications from preeclampsia takes the lives of over 76,000 mothers and half a million babies every year. These numbers shocked me when I first started working in the obstetric field. Working within a hospital setting, close to the clinic and pregnant women, performing research in close collaboration with clinical colleagues motivates me to keep researching ways to treat this terrible disease.

I am part of the Therapeutics Discovery and Vascular Function in Pregnancy Group at the University of Melbourne, a world-leading team researching medicines for pregnancy complications. Our goal is to make every pregnancy safe and help every mother stay well after birth.

Are there any achievements or discoveries from the past year you can share with us?

I was selected to represent Australia at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany. After state and national competitions, I was one of 100 finalists from around the world. I presented our team's groundbreaking generation of a world first preclinical platform for development and assessment of medications specifically for use in pregnancy, and for pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.

What role has Heart Foundation funding had in your career journey?

As well as during pregnancy, we now understand that preeclampsia increases the risk of heart disease later in life. However, there is still limited research on how to reduce the risk. This Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship has given me the opportunity to continue my research into finding an effective treatment for preeclampsia and its long-term impacts.

As an early career researcher, this Fellowship is an invaluable stepping stone. It helps me build my own independent research career and gives me the time and support to carry out high-quality research.

Do you have a message for Heart Foundation supporters?

Thank you to the generous supporters of the Heart Foundation for making this Postdoctoral Fellowship possible. Your contributions are helping us work towards safer pregnancies and healthier futures for the many hundreds of thousands of people affected by preeclampsia each year.

As an early career researcher, this fellowship provides me the support to dedicate my time to this important work. It is a vital step forward in my research journey and I am truly grateful for your support.