Fetal Development Research Laboratory

The department has a molecular research laboratory of 1,200 square feet, under the direction of Dev Maulik, MD, PhD at the UMKC School of Medicine with the following resources: a real-time PCR, western and northern blot system including 1 gel apparatus and power pac for western and northern blots, immune-histochemical set-up, regular PCR apparatus, an incubator (37° C →  68° C), oven, autoclave facility, two -80° freezers, gel imaging and documentation, spectrophotometer for quantification of RNA, DNA and proteins; 4 workstation computers, printers, and related resources.  The space also contains a tissue culture room with laminar flow and CO2 – incubator, inverted microscope, centrifuges (cold and regular), refrigerators and freezers, and other standard laboratory equipment.  This laboratory is capable of performing a wide range of activities for translational research, including gene array analyses.

Biomedical Imaging Research:

MFM fellows have access to advanced biomedical imaging research with space available in the Prenatal Diagnostic Laboratory.  The ultrasound laboratory is equipped with 4 state-of-the-art ultrasound devices specially configured for research projects and 3 advanced graphic computing workstations dedicated for image analyses and for developing and assessing new methods of maternal-fetal investigation.

Pharmacogenomics Laboratory:

An MFM fellow has full access to one of the premier Pharmacology Research Centers in the country at Children’s Mercy Hospital under the direction of Dr. J. Steven Leeder, Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology at UMKC and Chief of Children Mercy’s Section of Developmental Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Dr. Leeder is a national leader in this field and is NIH supported. He has provided direct mentoring and guidance to one of our graduated fellows (Devika Maulik, MD) in advanced maternal fetal pharmacogenomics research. The laboratory facilities of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Toxicology at the Children’s Mercy Hospital has approximately 12,000 square feet of space on the main floor of the Hospital’s Sutherland Tower and permits research in several disciplines including pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics. The equipment includes a variety of platforms including TaqMan, , traditional PCR-RFLP, GeneMapper and simple agarose gel electrophoresis, standard and real-time PCR instruments and many other instruments and systems.