Who we are?
We are an international and interdisciplinary team of researchers fascinated by the placenta. Our expertise spans placental biology and physiology, molecular and cellular mechanisms, genetics and biochemistry, pharmacology, and clinically oriented research. By studying the placenta as a dynamic interface between mother and fetus, we aim to understand how maternal–fetal interactions shape fetal development and long-term health. Placenta in Health and Disease | Vědecký portál – Farmaceutická fakulta UK
What we do?
Our work focuses on prenatal development, with particular attention to how pregnancy pathologies and medications/exposures during pregnancy influence placental function and fetal outcomes. Key research directions in our group include:
- Cannabis exposure in pregnancy and placental endocrine/immune function
- Placental monoamine regulation and the impact of antidepressant treatment on the maternal–fetal interface and fetal neurodevelopment
- Placental tryptophan metabolism in maternal inflammation and neurodevelopmental risk
- Maternal immune activation and signalling pathways within the feto-placental unit
- Placental inflammasome signalling in gestational diabetes and the therapeutic potential of metformin
TEAM
Head of the Lab
- PharmDr. František Štaud, Ph.D.
frantisek.staud@faf.cuni.cz | +420 495 067 407
www.portal.faf.cuni.cz/Profile/Staud-Frantisek/
Academic Staff
- Prof. PharmDr. Lukáš Červeňý, Ph.D.
- Rona Karahoda, Ph.D.
Postdocs
- Cilia Lourdes Abad, Ph.D.
- Josef Krátký, Ph.D.
PhD Students
- Mia Salma Alsouki
- Zeynep Unal
- Mohammed Naji Husaen Ali
- Tetiana Synova
- Fiona Kumnova
- Magdalena Novotna
- Maria Adler
- Mohammad Rida Ghaddar
Technical Assistants
- Dana Součková
- Renata Exnarová
SPECIAL TECHNIQUES & TECHNOLOGIES
Experimental placental models
We combine complementary human and animal-based placental models to study mechanisms and function across biological scales:
- In vitro trophoblast models (including choriocarcinoma-derived trophoblast cell lines)
- Primary human trophoblast cells isolated from term placenta
- Ex vivo villous placental explants/fragments from term placenta
- Ex vivo placental membrane preparations (microvillous and basal membranes) for functional transport/uptake studies
- In situ perfusion of rat term placenta to investigate placental transfer and physiology in an intact system
Core laboratory methods and equipment
Our laboratories are fully equipped for routine molecular, cellular, and functional analyses, including:
- qPCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR)
- Western blotting and chemiluminescent detection
- Flow cytometry / spectral analysis
- Light, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy with image analysis
- Microplate-based functional assays
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