Mala Mahendroo, Ph.D. Professor School Medical School Department Obstetrics and Gynecology | Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences Graduate Programs Biomedical Engineering, Cell and Molecular Biology Biography Download Curriculum Vitae Mala Mahendroo, Ph.D. is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and member of the Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences. She is trained in the areas of reproductive biology, molecular biology and biochemistry. Her research is focused on understanding how the cervix is remodeled through pregnancy to allow term birth and to identify misregulation that leads to premature birth. This research requires the application of a broad range of techniques to uncover aspects of hormone signaling, immunology, gene regulation, extracellular matrix and tissue mechanics, computational genomics and epithelial barrier function that regulate this dynamic process. In addition, Dr. Mahendroo collaborates with mechanical and biomedical engineers to develop translational imaging tools that may allow for assessment of premature cervical remodeling as well as to understand how changes in mechanical signals impact cellular function to achieve cervical remodeling. Dr. Mahendroo did her graduate research on the gene regulation of estrogen synthesis in human adipose in the laboratory of Dr. Evan Simpson at UT Southwestern and completed her PhD in 1992. She carried out her postdoctoral project entitled, "Targeted disruption of steroid 5alpha-reductases in mice," in David. W. Russell's laboratory in the Department of Molecular Genetics. Her postdoctoral work was supported by fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, The Lalor Foundation, and a Career Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. She joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as an Assistant Professor in 2000. Dr. Mahendroo has been supported by a Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences/Reproductive Biology from the Burroughs Welcome Fund, as well as grants from the National Institutes of Health, March of Dimes, Burroughs Welcome Preterm Birth Initiatives, and The Hartwell Foundation. Education Undergraduate Texas A & M University (1986), Biochemistry Graduate School UT Southwestern Medical Center (1992), Biochemistry Research Interest Extracellular matrix and tissue mechanics Gene regulation Hormone signaling Imaging tools to assess cervical function Molecular mechanisms of cervical remodeling Molecular physiology of reproduction Pregnancy and preterm birth Publications Featured Publications The molecular mechanisms of cervical ripening differ between term and preterm birth. Holt, R, Timmons, B, Akgul, Y., Akins, M, Mahendroo, M Endocrinology 2011 152 1036-1046 Cervical softening during pregnancy- regulated changes in collagen cross-linking and composition of matricellular proteins in the mouse. Akins, M, Luby-Phelps, K., Bank, R., Mahendroo, M Biol. of Reprod 2011 84 1053-62 Second harmonic generation imaging as a potential tool for staging pregnancy and predicting preterm birth. Akins, M.L., Luby-Phelps, K., Mahendroo, M J of Biomedical Optics 2010 15(2) 026020 Temporal changes in myeloid cells in the cervix during pregnancy and parturition. Timmons, B.C., Fairhurst, A.M.F., Mahendroo, M J of Immunology 2009 182 2700-2707 Hyaluronan and its binding proteins during cervical ripening and parturition: Dynamic changes in size, distribution and temporal sequence. Monika Ruscheinsky, Carol De la Motte, Mala Mahendroo Matrix Biology Summer 2008 27 487-497 Cervical hyaluronan biology in pregnancy, parturition and preterm birth. Mahendroo M Matrix Biol. 2018 Mar The mechanical response of the mouse cervix to cyclic tensile test with advancing gestation in normal and preterm pregnancy Jayyosi C, Lee N, Willcockson A, Nallasamy S, Mahendroo M, Myers K Acta Biomaterialia 2018 78 15 Sep 2018 308-319 Transcriptome signature identifies distinct cervical pathways induced in LPS-mediated preterm birth. Willcockson AR, Nandu T, Liu CL, Nallasamy S, Kraus WL, Mahendroo M Biol. Reprod. 2017 Dec Distinct reorganization of collagen architecture in lipopolysaccharide - mediated premature cervical remodeling. Nallasamy S, Akins M, Tetreault B, Luby-Phelps K, Mahendroo M Biol. Reprod. 2017 Nov Steroid hormones are key modulators of tissue mechanical function via regulation of collagen and elastic fibers. Nallasamy S, Yoshida K, Akins M, Myers K, Iozzo R, Mahendroo M Endocrinology 2017 Feb Results 1-10 of 14 1 2 Next Last Honors & Awards Initiative AwardBurroughs Wellcome Preterm Birth Initiative Award (2019) Initiative AwardBurroughs Wellcome Preterm Birth Initiative Award (2011) Scholar AwardHartwell Foundation Scholar (2010) Career AwardBurroughs Wellcome Career Award (1997-2003) Lalor Fellowship AwardLalor Foundation (1996-1997) Research Fellowship AwardNIH National Research Service Award (1993-1996) Professional Associations/Affiliations American Association for the Advancement of Science Endocrine Society Perinatal Research Society Society for Gynecologic Investigation Society for the Study of Reproduction
