Mental Health, Women's Biology, and Climate Science are key areas of research focus in the School of Biological Sciences where our scientists are working together across disciplinary boundaries to drive new discoveries and improve health outcomes worldwide. These initiatives have now received backing from Wellcome with two newly funded research programmes that will drive a step-change in biological understanding at the intersection of mental health, climate change and maternal-offspring health.
Research Programme 1: Understanding the impact of heat in the mental health of mothers and their babies
This Cambridge-led research consortium will study the life-long and intergenerational mental health effects of extreme heat on pregnant women and their children.
The international team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, University of New South Wales (Australia) and University of Thessaly (Greece) - spanning climate science psychology, and perinatal health - will explore the largely uncharted biological and psychological links between heat and mental health in mothers and their children.
As climate change intensifies, understanding how extreme heat affects pregnant populations is critical given the growing likelihood that global temperature rises may exceed the 1.5C degrees target set by the Paris Agreement. Around 1 in 5 women experience anxiety or depression during or after pregnancy. These challenges are worsened by heat-related pregnancy complications, like stillbirth and fetal growth restriction, which can have intergenerational consequences on mental health.
This interdisciplinary project brings together Cambridge expertise in Women’s Biology, led by Prof Amanda Sferuzzi-Perri from the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, and Mental Health, led by Professor Rebecca Lawson, from the Department of Psychology.
“I am thrilled that we have received funding to explore how extreme heat may impact the mental health of mothers and their babies,” Prof Sferruzzi-Perri said. “Pregnant women are not only physiologically more vulnerable to heat stress, but also often experience social and structural disadvantages that amplify its health impacts.”
This project is further strengthened by local collaborations with Cambridge Zero, a university-wide initiative focused on driving Cambridge's contribution to a climate resilient future, including strategies to mitigate the impact of extreme heat as the planet warms.
Research Programme 2: Uncovering interactions between malaria and the human placenta
Extreme heat is not the only environmental stressor that threatens placental health. Climate change also creates ideal conditions for disease carrying species such as mosquitoes, and infectious diseases can severely affect pregnancy outcomes. This second project focuses on malaria, aiming to understand how the infection alters placental function and impacts fetal development. Using a combination of advanced technologies and in vitro models, the project seeks to improve understanding of placenta malaria, supporting the diagnosis and development of new treatments.
The project is co-led by Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri (Cambridge) and Professor Jesse Gitaka from Mount Kenya University. It has secured funding for five years and will enable the opening of a Placenta Research Centre in Kenya, including the training of new scientists in the field.
“Placental malaria is a frequently underdiagnosed complication of pregnancy, disproportionately affecting parts of the world including populations in Sub-Saharan Africa. In these regions, it remains a major cause of fetal death, stillbirths and low birth weight, and is also an important contributor to maternal mortality,” said Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri.
“If effort is put into diseases like placenta malaria, we wouldn’t have these conditions at all, so this research will make a massive difference to the lives of many people”, she added.
Malaria in pregnancy is still a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, significantly affecting maternal and fetal health. Malaria accounts for 20% stillbirths and causes the deaths of 10,000 mothers and 100,000 infants annually in the region.
Placental malaria can lead to a range of outcomes, from normal deliveries to severe complications like stillbirths, low birthweight (babies born weighing less than normal), and preterm birth (babies born too early). This indicates that complex mechanisms are involved in the interactions between the parasite that causes malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) and the placenta, highlighting the critical need for further research to understand these pathways and develop effective interventions.
This project builds on the School of Biological Sciences expertise in Women's Health, strengthened by partnerships with leading international research centres in infectious disease and parasitology. Professor Sferruzzi-Perri and her group will work with teams at Mount Kenya University in Kenya, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany.
Commenting on the two new funding awards, Prof Rebecca Lawson, Deputy Head of School for Research Strategy said:
“These exciting and important grants are a great example of the collaborative research culture within the School of Biological Sciences, building on growing momentum in two key strategic focus areas: Women's Biology and Health, and Mental Health across Scales, Species and Society. Through partnerships with international teams on the front line of environmental stressors such as climate change and infectious disease, we can extend our impact and help shape global solutions for a healthier future."
Find out more about our research in Women’s Biology and Health and Mental Health.
About Wellcome
Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.