Yoel Sadovsky, MD

Dr Sadovsky is a physician-scientist with a research focus on reproductive development and feto-placental biology. For 20 years his laboratory has used primary human placental cells, genetically altered mice, and biochemical assays to decipher molecular mechanisms underlying feto-placental function and adaptation to injury. Most of these pathways, which have a lifelong impact on health, are largely unknown and insufficiently studied. The key cells that mediate maternal-fetal exchange are placental trophoblasts, which are directly bathed in maternal blood. To better define the homeostatic adaption of trophoblasts to cellular stressors, Dr Sadovsky pursues the regulation and function of placental ncRNAs. He and his collaborators found that placenta-specific miRNAs can confer viral resistance to non-placental cells. Studies currently focus on the genomic mechanisms underlying placenta-specific function and regulation of these ncRNA. He also studies the packaging of these miRNA in exosomes and other extracellular vesicles, and mechanisms of exosome trafficking and uptake by target cells. Dr Sadovsky also seeks to understand the dynamics of lipid trafficking and lipotoxicity in a placental cell, focusing primarily on triglycerides and ferroptosis, a highly regulated cell death pathway mediated by hydroperoxy- forms of arachidonoyl (AA)- and adrenoyl (Adr)-phosphatidylethanolamine. Dr Sadovsky has trained numerous students, residents, postdoctoral fellows and faculty. He is passionate about science education and about mentoring scholars to harness the power of scientific investigation as a means to enhance health and wellness. He serves in leadership positions in national training programs in reproductive sciences and is fully aware of the extraordinary need to deepen and bolster fundamental and clinical research in the field of reproductive sciences and women’s health.