早产是围生期最常见的产科疾患，也是新生儿死亡的首要病因。申请者多年来从事人类分娩启动机制的基础研究，通过SRCs基因敲除构建延迟分娩动物模型，证实胎源性因素在分娩启动中具有重要调控作用；完善胎盘激素相互调节的内分泌网络，发现一系列调控子宫舒缩状态转化的关键因子。以第一或通讯作者在JCI、Endocrinology等国际顶级医学、内分泌学杂志上发表论文12篇，总影响因子61.29，受到JCI、Endocrine Reviews等权威期刊的专文评述和整段引用，4篇系列论文被国际权威生殖生理学教材收录。获国家级基金3项，省部级基金5项；入选上海市“浦江人才计划”，“晨光计划”，总后优秀青年科技人才扶持计划；获全军优博、全国青年优秀生理学学术论文、上海市医学科技奖。本课题围绕分娩启动调控机制这一重大临床科学问题，通过动物模型和临床样本全面筛选调控分娩启动的胎源性因子，为早产的有效防治提供科学依据。

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity world-wide. My research interest mainly focuses on discovering the mechanisms underlying the initiation of human parturition, to help predict and prevent related diseases, such as preterm labor. Using steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-KO mice, I revealed the important contributions of fetal origin factors to the regulation of labor. My work also improved the network of reciprocal regulation between placental hormones, as well as the effects of placental hormones on key factors controlling the contractility of uterus. As first author or corresponding author, I’ve published 12 research articles, on top-profile medical or endocrine journals, such as Journal of Clinical Investigation and Endocrinology, with total impact factors up to 61.29. My work has been highlighted and commented in Journal of Clinical Investigation and cited by high-profile journals such as Endocrine Reviews and Endocrinology. My research has been sponsored by multiple National Natural Science Funds or Provincial funds, and awarded by “Outstanding PhD Thesis of the Army”, “National Excellent Academic Paper Award in Physiology” and “Shanghai Medical Technology Award”. Moreover, I have been enrolled in several talents schemes (e.g. Shanghai “Pujiang Scholar” and “Chen Guang Scholar”, “Outstanding Young Scientist Supportive Plan” from The General Logistics Department of Army). In the proposed project, I’m planning to screen the potential fetus-derived factors controlling onset of labor from the overlap between animal model and patients’ blood samples by unbiased second-generation sequencing. We will also clarify the intrauterine signaling pathways mediating the effects of these fetal origin factors and verify new biomarkers in maternal blood for early prediction and prevention of preterm birth.