Dr Padma Murthi
Honorary Research Associate
The Ritchie Centre
Hudson Institute of Medical Research
Australia
Biography
Dr Padma Murthi is an internationally recognised placentologist. Her specific research expertise is in studying human placental development and function within nutrition, endocrinology and obstetrics research. Dr Murthi was awarded her PhD in 1995 from the University of Melbourne under the supervision of Professor Richard Larkins. From 2000 to 2014, Dr Murthi was employed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Royal Women’s Hospital. In 2015, Dr Murthi was recruited to the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University and The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research as a Senior Research Fellow.
Research Interest
Dr Murthi’s projects are focused on translational outcomes in obstetrics research. Her major research interests lie primarily in understanding the molecular mechanisms of placental insufficiency leading to human fetal growth restriction. She has generated more than 80 publications in this field. Her laboratory also studies the molecular targets of placental pathogenesis in preeclampsia and gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Her current project investigates the specific role of placental tryptophan metabolism and its regulation by vitamin D in contributing to neurocognitive development in infants and children.
Publications
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Nguyen TP, Yong HE, Chollangi T, Borg AJ, Brennecke SP, Murthi P. Placental vitamin D receptor expression is decreased in human idiopathic fetal growth restriction. J Mol Med (Berl). 2015;93(7):795-805.
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Murthi P, Brouillet S, Pratt A, Borg A, Kalionis B, Goffin F, Tsatsaris V, Munaut C, Feige J, Benharouga M, Fournier T, Alfaidy N. An EG-VEGF-dependent decrease in homeobox gene NKX3.1 contributes to cytotrophoblast dysfunction: a possible mechanism in human fetal growth restriction. Mol Med. 2015.
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Murthi P, Yong EJH, Nguyen TPH, Ellery S, Singh H, Rahman R, Dickinson H, Walker D, Wallace EM, Ebeling PR. Role of the Placental Vitamin D Receptor in Modulating Feto-Placental Growth in Fetal Growth Restriction and Preeclampsia-Affected Pregnancies. Frontiers in Physiology, 2016.
