Dr Jane Cleal has been recognised as an outstanding researcher in the field of placental biology.
She was presented the 2024 Andrée Gruslin Award at a conference in Montreal, Canada.
Dr Cleal is an Associate Professor in Reproductive Cell Biology at the University of Southampton.
She is also part of the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Global recognition
The Andrée Gruslin Award is given by the International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA).
Each year, it is offered to an outstanding female mid-career investigator in their field.
It is named after Dr Andrée Gruslin, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and researcher. Dr Gruslin spent her life researching placental health until her death in 2014, aged 49.
She is remembered for continuing an obstetrical service and research while battling breast cancer.
Dr Cleal received the award this month at the IFPA conference, where she gave a plenary lecture.
She said: “It is such an honour to receive this award and for the importance of my novel work on placental nutrient transfer and metabolism to be recognised. These are key findings that could inform new interventions to support fetal development.”
Research focus
Dr Cleal is a member of the Southampton Placenta-Endometrium Group.
She specialises in the integration of whole systems biology with cellular and molecular mechanisms. These relate to developmental physiology, reproductive disorders and pregnancy-related conditions.
Her pioneering research on placental nutrient transfer has significantly advanced understanding of the underlying processes.
This includes establishing how amino acids reach the foetus. She also made the groundbreaking discovery of active placental control of vitamin D transfer and metabolism during pregnancy. The findings demonstrate a complex interplay between vitamin D and the placenta. They could help inform future interventions using vitamin D to support foetal development and maternal adaptations to pregnancy.
Dr Cleal is part of the Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism theme of the NIHR Southampton BRC.
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