BU Faculty Interviews
Our team has been taking advantage of the knowledge of BU faculty to learn more about what our device should test for. Since we are considering testing for renal and liver function, we spoke with Professor Dan Brooks from the School of Public Health. Professor Brooks studies chronic kidney disease of non-traditional cause in Central America. Though the biomarkers tested for CKDnt are different than what we would be looking for in pregnant mothers with kidney damage from pre-eclampsia, Professor Brooks was able to provide the team with valuable insight. He talked about his field experience with the Stat Sensor and iStat devices and their limitations when used in the extreme heat of Nicaragua. He suggested our team decide what is most important about the test results our device will provide, and consider the implications of a high or low-end tolerance.
This morning we met with Elizabeth Co, a Boston University professor who is well versed in the physiological side of pre-eclampsia. Professor Co gave us an excellent overview of the maternal-child interface and the biological interactions that take place in the womb during pregnancy. She explained how pre-eclampsia relates to the changes a woman’s body undergoes while pregnant. In preparation for diffusing nutrients to the placenta, the mother’s blood vessels prepare to accommodate for increased blood flow. If this does not occur (as in mothers with pre-eclampsia), the result is high blood pressure and inflammation of the body. Professor Co was also able to provide us with several different biomarkers that indicate pre-eclampsia, so we found her knowledge helpful both in gaining a better overall understanding of pre-eclampsia as well as a potential new avenue for biomarker investigation.
