Varberg Lab
About the Team
The Varberg laboratory incorporates next-generation sequencing approaches to identify genetic and environmental (epigenetic) factors impacting placental development and function in the setting of pregnancy complications and disease. Dr. Varberg has collaborated with physician scientists around the country to expand the diversity of human trophoblast stem cell models from clinically available tissue sources, including from chorionic villus biopsies and products of conception from recurrent pregnancy loss. These models are used to study early events of placental development in the context of known pregnancy outcomes. Dr. Varberg also has a keen interest in the developmental origins of health and disease and how abnormal placentation-based pregnancy complications impact fetal development. Her training and experience in placental biology and primary human cell culture has uniquely positioned her to lead the Varberg lab research program that explores how placenta function and pathology contribute to pregnancy success and the developmental origins of disease.
Leader
Kaela Varberg, PhD is an Independent Investigator in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology in the Children’s Mercy Research Institute. Dr. Varberg's graduate training was based in reproductive biology with an emphasis on cell physiology and developmental origins of health and disease. She received her doctoral degree in Cellular and Integrative Physiology from the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Varberg's postdoctoral training remained within reproductive biology, but with a new emphasis on trophoblast development and placentation. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Kansas Medical Center where she expanded her expertise from primary patient cell culture to human trophoblast stem cell culture and mutant rat models. Dr. Varberg remains fascinated by maternal/fetal interaction during pregnancy and the field of developmental origins of health and disease, or the impact of developmental events on long-term health outcomes. As an independent investigator, Dr. Varberg is developing a research program that utilizes epigenomic approaches to identify conserved mechanisms of placental development
- Research Areas
- Labs and Research Teams
- ACCESS Behavioral Health Lab
- Baby Health and Behavior Lab
- Baby Lab
- Bactrim Lung Failure Team
- Behavioral Pain Innovations Lab
- Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition
- Community Engaged Research Team
- Developmental and Behavioral Health Research Group
- Fridley Lab
- Laboratory of Immunogenomics
- Milkovich Lab
- Nadler Lab
- Pediatric Brain Cancer Research Team/Yadav Lab
- Ramsey Lab
- Sullivant Lab
- Varberg Lab
- Younger Lab
Doctoral Research Faculty; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Research Assistant Professor of Pathology, University of Kansas School of Medicine