Postpartum stress and cardiometabolic profiles in mothers of preterm vs. term infants
Advisor: Phoebe Lam聽
Major: Psychology & Biology
Abstract
Preterm birth occurs in 10% of U.S. pregnancies and has been linked to elevated maternal cardiovascular disease risk, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The postpartum period may represent a sensitive window in which early cardiometabolic risk emerges, particularly given the heightened physiological remodeling and stress experienced by mothers of preterm infants. This study will examine whether mothers who delivered preterm exhibit greater cardiometabolic risk during the 6鈥�12-month postpartum period compared with mothers who delivered at term, and whether postpartum psychological stress mediates these differences. Forty mothers (20 preterm, 20 term) will complete a Life Stress Interview, a brief online survey, and a laboratory visit including a blood draw. Biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk (low-grade inflammation markers and metabolic syndrome) will be assessed. Analyses will test group differences in cardiometabolic risk and evaluate whether postpartum stress mediates such group differences.
Bio
My research interests center on understanding how psychosocial processes contribute to inflammatory pathways that shape women鈥檚 health outcomes. In spring 2024, I worked at the Magee Women鈥檚 Research Institute on a project examining the role of TNF-伪, a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in pre-eclampsia and preterm labor, in placental cells. This work strengthened my interest in inflammation and women鈥檚 health, but it also highlighted a gap in my training: my experience was primarily in wet-lab biology (e.g., immunological assays) rather than in understanding the psychological processes that impact inflammatory pathways. In fall 2025, I joined the Dr. Phoebe Lam鈥檚 Lifespan Stress and Health (LSH) Lab to address this gap. During this time, I received training in conducting the Life Stress Interview, an hour-long semi-structured interview that systematically assesses major domains of a person鈥檚 lives (e.g., relationships, work, finances) to holistically characterize stress exposure. This training equipped me to measure psychological stress using interview-based methods that do not rely solely on self-report. With Phoebe, I am also working on a meta-analysis examining the link between socioeconomic status and preterm birth. Through reviewing and extracting this literature, I gained a broader understanding of the structural and psychosocial factors that contribute to disparities in preterm birth. This work also piqued my curiosity about how preterm birth may affect maternal health, a topic that received far less attention than infant outcomes. Together, my background in immunological research, interview-based stress assessment, and quantitative synthesis provides a strong foundation for pursuing a thesis that examines whether psychological stress, a potentially modifiable factor, mediates the link between preterm birth and maternal cardiometabolic health. In addition to my research interests, I enjoy hiking, reading, traveling to new places, and going to as many concerts as I can.