IOB photo competition
Well done to David Barrett for making it to the finals for the photo competition at the IOB launch event at QMUL. His photo shows an SEM image of the amniotic membrane following prenatal fetoscopic surgery. A small hole was made in the amniotic membrane to allow the surgeon to perform complicated spinal surgery whilst the baby was growing inside the mother’s womb. However, after invasive fetal therapy, the wound is unable to heal and leaves a visible membrane defect in the amniotic membrane. In 30% of fetoscopic cases, the membrane separates from the uterine wall leading to rupture of the amniotic membrane and premature delivery of the baby. We are trying to find a way to heal the defect and stop preterm births following prenatal surgery.
David is a PhD student at the Institute of Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London and is funded by the RoseTrees Trust.