Mother-Baby Biobank (MoBa)
Advancing Maternal & Infant Health Through Research
Join us in shaping a healthier future for mothers and babies.
Welcome to MoBa Lab
Located at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, MoBa Lab is an interdisciplinary research team dedicated to improving maternal and infant health. Our work spans folate nutrigenetics in congenital heart defects, newborn screening, and maternal-fetal medicine.
Through our Biobank initiative, we enroll mothers and babies to study conditions such as preeclampsia and diabetes, aiming to transform care and outcomes for future pregnancies.
Research Focus
Folate Nutrigenetics &
|
Newborn Screening &
|
Maternal-Fetal Medicine & Pregnancy CareAdvancing research to reduce risks for mothers and babies. |
Biobank Initiative
What is a Biobank? Biobanks are large collections of biospecimens used for health and medical research. At MoBa Lab, we collect samples during routine medical care—samples that would otherwise be discarded—to study health conditions in mothers and babies.
Why Participate?
- Contribute to scientific progress
- Help improve care for mothers and babies
- Confidential and ethical handling of samples
Our Mission
To create a healthier future for mothers and their children.
We believe in collaboration, innovation, and ethical research practices that respect every participant’s contribution.
Meet Our Team
|
||||
 Steffy Blanco, MD Research Coordinator I Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Department of Pediatrics |
 Avery DeWolf Research Assistant II Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology |
 Ximena Medina Romero Research Assistant II Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Department of Pediatrics |
||
|
||||
Our Alumni
 Parker Laville, DO Family Medicine Lone Star Family Health Center |
 Rafael Balderas [Title] [Location] |
 Laura Lee Harrington [Title] [Location] |
 Connor Yee [Title] [Location] |
Publications
Challenges in the clinical understanding of genetic testing in birth defects and pediatric diseases
Findley TO, Parchem JG, Ramdaney A, Morton SU. Transl Pediatr. 2023 May 30;12(5):1028-1040. doi: 10.21037/tp-23-54. Epub 2023 May 4. PMID: 37305724; PMCID: PMC10248941.
SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination During Pregnancy: A Complex Decision
Wang EW, Parchem JG, Atmar RL, Clark EH. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 10;8(5):ofab180. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab180. PMID: 34056031; PMCID: PMC8083262.
Hippo-Yap Pathway Orchestrates Neural Crest Ontogenesis
Zhao X, Le TP, Erhardt S, Findley TO, Wang J. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Jul 8;9:706623. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.706623. PMID: 34307386; PMCID: PMC8298320.
Aspirin Discontinuation in Pregnancies at High Risk of Preterm Preeclampsia
Parchem JG, Sibai BM. Aspirin Discontinuation in Pregnancies at High Risk of Preterm Preeclampsia. JAMA. 2023 Jun 13;329(22):1987-1988. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.7395. PMID: 37314279.
Narrative review of single ventricle: where are we after 40 years?
Corno AF, Findley TO, Salazar JD. Transl Pediatr. 2023 Feb 28;12(2):221-244. doi: 10.21037/tp-22-573. Epub 2023 Feb 7. PMID: 36891374; PMCID: PMC9986776.
Fetal metabolic adaptations to cardiovascular stress in twin-twin transfusion syndrome
Parchem JG, Fan H, Mann LK, Chen Q, Won JH, Gross SS, Zhao Z, Taegtmeyer H, Papanna R. iScience. 2023 Jul 20;26(8):107424. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107424. PMID: 37575192; PMCID: PMC10415929.
The current state of prenatal detection of genetic conditions in congenital heart defects
Findley TO, Northrup H. Transl Pediatr. 2021 Aug;10(8):2157-2170. doi: 10.21037/tp-20-315. PMID: 34584888; PMCID: PMC8429866.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adverse Perinatal Outcomes at Term
Parchem JG, Rice MM, Grobman WA, Bailit JL, Wapner RJ, Debbink MP, Thorp JM Jr, Caritis SN, Prasad M, Tita ATN, Saade GR, Sorokin Y, Rouse DJ, Tolosa JE; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network. Am J Perinatol. 2023 Apr;40(5):557-566. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1730348. Epub 2021 May 31. PMID: 34058765; PMCID: PMC8630098.
Gallery
How to Participate
Interested in joining our Biobank?
- Who can enroll: Mothers delivering at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center
- Questions? Email us at [email protected]
Contact Us
Email: [email protected]
Location: McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
6431 Fannin St. MSB 3.400
Houston, TX 77030