Dr Irving Aye

I am an MRC Career Development Fellow at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. I am also a Principal Investigator Affiliate at the Centre for Trophoblast Research and the Stem Cell Institute. I completed my undergraduate and master’s degrees in pharmacology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, before obtaining a PhD in Obstetrics at the University of Western Australia. I then completed post-doctoral fellowships in the United States, at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. I joined the Dept of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, at the University of Cambridge initially as a Research Associate and was later awarded the semi-independent fellowship (Next Generation Fellowship) from the Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR). In 2022, I received a career development award from the MRC to establish my lab. 

I have a long-standing interest in placental biology. My master’s research characterized drug transporter proteins in human extraembryonic membranes, while my PhD research examined cholesterol transport mechanisms in placental trophoblasts. I investigated the mechanisms by which maternal obesity alters fetal growth via effects on the placenta, during my post-doctoral fellowship in the USA. My work in Cambridge (funded by the CTR) has established X chromosome inactivation escape as a key determinant of sex differences in placental function and susceptibility to preeclampsia. My current research (funded by the MRC and the Royal Society) examines the epigenetic and metabolic networks that govern early placental development.

Project/study information 

Our lab is broadly interested in understanding the mechanisms regulating placental stem cells called trophoblasts, and how this process is impaired in pregnancy disorders. One major theme of our lab is to understand the interplay between metabolism and epigenetics during early placental development.  

We use a variety of experimental models including human trophoblast stem cells and pregnant mice. Furthermore, analyses will be carried out using placental samples from a prospective cohort (Pregnancy Outcome Prediction Study) of normal and complicated pregnancies to determine the clinical relevance of our findings. 

Recruitment of PhD / Post doctoral students 

Please contact Irving if you'd like to discuss studentship opportunities: PhD or MPhil. Post-doctoral opportunities may be available from time to time but if you’d like to learn more about our work or considering a fellowship, please get in touch. 

Projects available: 

• Metabolic control of trophoblast fate via epigenetic modifications
• Regulation of trophoblast invasion