Karen Forbes
@drkarenforbes.bsky.social
Associate Professor at University of Leeds. Mum. Placenta researcher. Interested in nutrition, diabetes, microRNAs, extracellular vesicles, DOHaD, cardiovascular health, womens health & outreach.
Recently we hosted the inaugural #NorthernEVNetwork meeting @universityofleeds.bsky.social which provided an excellent networking opportunity for EV researchers & highlighted the huge diversity and expertise in #extracellularvesicle research that is being conducted in Northern England.
July 23, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Recently we hosted the inaugural #NorthernEVNetwork meeting @universityofleeds.bsky.social which provided an excellent networking opportunity for EV researchers & highlighted the huge diversity and expertise in #extracellularvesicle research that is being conducted in Northern England.
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Great to have @drkarenforbes.bsky.social opening the first Northern EV network meeting @universityofleeds.bsky.social ! Looking forward to a full day of all things #EVs
July 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Great to have @drkarenforbes.bsky.social opening the first Northern EV network meeting @universityofleeds.bsky.social ! Looking forward to a full day of all things #EVs
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Do you have ideas on how to improve sustainability of scientific conferences and meetings? While still keeping them fun, frutiful, and fulfilling?
Do you want to share your ideas to help inspire positive change?
Do you want to win £250?
Act fast! Essay competition! Deadline TOMORROW!
Do you want to share your ideas to help inspire positive change?
Do you want to win £250?
Act fast! Essay competition! Deadline TOMORROW!
Enter our essay competition and win £250. Share with us your ideas on how to innovate event organisation to have a lower environmental impact.
Entry deadline: Friday 20 June
Enter now: www.biologists.com/stories/essa...
#Innovation #Sustainability #Environment
Entry deadline: Friday 20 June
Enter now: www.biologists.com/stories/essa...
#Innovation #Sustainability #Environment
June 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Do you have ideas on how to improve sustainability of scientific conferences and meetings? While still keeping them fun, frutiful, and fulfilling?
Do you want to share your ideas to help inspire positive change?
Do you want to win £250?
Act fast! Essay competition! Deadline TOMORROW!
Do you want to share your ideas to help inspire positive change?
Do you want to win £250?
Act fast! Essay competition! Deadline TOMORROW!
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Trophoblast and endometrial stromal cells fuse?! I had no idea.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40509769/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40509769/
Syncytin-1 Is Responsible for the Fusion Between Human Trophoblasts and Endometrial Stromal Cells - PubMed
Syncytiotrophoblasts (STs) are multinucleated cells formed by the fusion of trophoblasts and play critical roles in placental development and function. Retrovirus-derived fusogenic proteins, known as ...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
June 13, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Trophoblast and endometrial stromal cells fuse?! I had no idea.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40509769/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40509769/
Recent paper from our team investigating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in fetoplacental vasculature in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes #pregnancy #placenta #EndMT #reprorocks
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition in the fetoplacental macrovasculature and microvasculature in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes
Abstract figure legend Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2 and interleukin (IL)-1β induced morphological and molecular changes consistent with endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in HUVECs ...
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Recent paper from our team investigating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in fetoplacental vasculature in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes #pregnancy #placenta #EndMT #reprorocks
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Our latest paper where we modelled in-vivo glucose levels to investigate the impact of diabetes on the placenta, is now out. Congratulations to all co-authors🥳 #diabetes #pregnancy #placenta #glucose
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Physiological glucose levels associated with gestational diabetes impact the human placental transcriptome in an ex vivo model
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of pathological fetal growth, including rates of large-for-gestational age (LGA) infants, which…
www.sciencedirect.com
June 19, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Our latest paper where we modelled in-vivo glucose levels to investigate the impact of diabetes on the placenta, is now out. Congratulations to all co-authors🥳 #diabetes #pregnancy #placenta #glucose
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
ICYMI: What causes vascular injury in type 2 diabetes?
Aida Collado & team show extracellular vesicles produced by red blood cells are taken up by endothelial cells, leading to impaired vascular relaxation: buff.ly/e4UMYB1
Aida Collado & team show extracellular vesicles produced by red blood cells are taken up by endothelial cells, leading to impaired vascular relaxation: buff.ly/e4UMYB1
May 24, 2025 at 3:33 PM
ICYMI: What causes vascular injury in type 2 diabetes?
Aida Collado & team show extracellular vesicles produced by red blood cells are taken up by endothelial cells, leading to impaired vascular relaxation: buff.ly/e4UMYB1
Aida Collado & team show extracellular vesicles produced by red blood cells are taken up by endothelial cells, leading to impaired vascular relaxation: buff.ly/e4UMYB1
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Fetoplacental extracellular vesicles deliver conceptus-derived antigens to maternal secondary lymphoid tissues for immune recognition @jci-insight.bsky.social
insight.jci.org/articles/vie...
insight.jci.org/articles/vie...
May 23, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Fetoplacental extracellular vesicles deliver conceptus-derived antigens to maternal secondary lymphoid tissues for immune recognition @jci-insight.bsky.social
insight.jci.org/articles/vie...
insight.jci.org/articles/vie...
We are delighted to announce that registration for the first Northern EV Network Annual Meeting 2025, in Leeds on Friday 11th July, is now open!
For Registration: eventbrite.com/e/northern-e...
For Abstract Submission-deadline 15th June: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
For Registration: eventbrite.com/e/northern-e...
For Abstract Submission-deadline 15th June: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Northern EV Network - Inaugural meeting
The Northern EV Network aims to bring together scientists interested in extracellular vesicle research across the North of England.
eventbrite.com
May 24, 2025 at 4:45 PM
We are delighted to announce that registration for the first Northern EV Network Annual Meeting 2025, in Leeds on Friday 11th July, is now open!
For Registration: eventbrite.com/e/northern-e...
For Abstract Submission-deadline 15th June: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
For Registration: eventbrite.com/e/northern-e...
For Abstract Submission-deadline 15th June: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
This Friday - last chance to apply! Please spread the word in your networks 📣
forms.office.com/e/kAq9TpwpUh
forms.office.com/e/kAq9TpwpUh
March 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
This Friday - last chance to apply! Please spread the word in your networks 📣
forms.office.com/e/kAq9TpwpUh
forms.office.com/e/kAq9TpwpUh
We attended another fab @socendocrinology.bsky.social
BES meeting last wk!
I had the pleasure of delivering the 'What's new' update, we had a great Repro Network session, Abbie & Georgia received highly recommended awards for their posters & made the best endocrine organ at the Quiz🤩 #reprorocks
BES meeting last wk!
I had the pleasure of delivering the 'What's new' update, we had a great Repro Network session, Abbie & Georgia received highly recommended awards for their posters & made the best endocrine organ at the Quiz🤩 #reprorocks
March 18, 2025 at 4:09 PM
We attended another fab @socendocrinology.bsky.social
BES meeting last wk!
I had the pleasure of delivering the 'What's new' update, we had a great Repro Network session, Abbie & Georgia received highly recommended awards for their posters & made the best endocrine organ at the Quiz🤩 #reprorocks
BES meeting last wk!
I had the pleasure of delivering the 'What's new' update, we had a great Repro Network session, Abbie & Georgia received highly recommended awards for their posters & made the best endocrine organ at the Quiz🤩 #reprorocks
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Join us on Feb 18th to listen to Dr. Joy Wolfram on recent breakthroughs in EV manufacturing & drug delivery, shaping the future of patient care.
⏰TimeZone: notime.zone/OIRUsoy1fNI9g
🎯Join the SNEV network for FREE: shorturl.at/PBVAL
⏰TimeZone: notime.zone/OIRUsoy1fNI9g
🎯Join the SNEV network for FREE: shorturl.at/PBVAL
February 7, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Join us on Feb 18th to listen to Dr. Joy Wolfram on recent breakthroughs in EV manufacturing & drug delivery, shaping the future of patient care.
⏰TimeZone: notime.zone/OIRUsoy1fNI9g
🎯Join the SNEV network for FREE: shorturl.at/PBVAL
⏰TimeZone: notime.zone/OIRUsoy1fNI9g
🎯Join the SNEV network for FREE: shorturl.at/PBVAL
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Well done to our very own @jessicaedgejce on giving a BRILLIANT talk in the @srf_societyuk Post Doc prize session!! 🥳🥳 #reprorocks
January 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Well done to our very own @jessicaedgejce on giving a BRILLIANT talk in the @srf_societyuk Post Doc prize session!! 🥳🥳 #reprorocks
In our latest article we report striking rates of adverse outcomes in pregnancies complicated by type 2 Diabetes including increased perinatal mortality compared to other types of diabetes in pregnancy. www.ajog.org/article/S000...
Pregnancy Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) now accounts for the majority of pre-existing diabetes affecting pregnancy in the UK. Our aim was to determine its impact on pregnancy outcomes compared to type 1 diabetes (T1D), gestational diabetes (GDM) and non-diabetes pregnancies.
www.ajog.org
January 3, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In our latest article we report striking rates of adverse outcomes in pregnancies complicated by type 2 Diabetes including increased perinatal mortality compared to other types of diabetes in pregnancy. www.ajog.org/article/S000...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Looking for some festive reading? Check out our new paper on developing a bovine endometrial organoid model. Congrats to Jess, Olga, Haidee, Sam, Gianluca Elena Virgínia, Karen, Mary & Pete #reprorocks 🥳🥳 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Bovine endometrial organoids: A new tool to study conceptus-maternal interactions in mammals
In cattle, communication between endometrium and conceptus during the peri-implantation period is crucial for successful pregnancy. Understanding these interactions is vital as most early pregnancy lo...
www.biorxiv.org
December 22, 2024 at 7:59 AM
Looking for some festive reading? Check out our new paper on developing a bovine endometrial organoid model. Congrats to Jess, Olga, Haidee, Sam, Gianluca Elena Virgínia, Karen, Mary & Pete #reprorocks 🥳🥳 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
I'm hiring! Exciting role for researcher with experience in multiomics data integration/systems modelling, and passion for women's health research. Initial contract for 3 years. Great opportunity to join our team @robsinstitute.bsky.social. Please share.
careers.adelaide.edu.au/cw/en/job/51...
careers.adelaide.edu.au/cw/en/job/51...
Come and celebrate our 150th year. Explore our events, our history, and the foundation we’ve built for the future.
careers.adelaide.edu.au
December 18, 2024 at 9:38 PM
I'm hiring! Exciting role for researcher with experience in multiomics data integration/systems modelling, and passion for women's health research. Initial contract for 3 years. Great opportunity to join our team @robsinstitute.bsky.social. Please share.
careers.adelaide.edu.au/cw/en/job/51...
careers.adelaide.edu.au/cw/en/job/51...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
A potential new mRNA-based therapy for pre-eclampsia is demonstrated in a mouse study published in Nature. The method involves targeted delivery of mRNA to the placenta to restore normal maternal blood pressure and improve foetal health. 🧪
Placenta-tropic VEGF mRNA lipid nanoparticles ameliorate murine pre-eclampsia - Nature
A platform for mRNA lipid nanoparticle delivery to the placenta to treat pre-eclampsia is shown to improve fetal and maternal health in mice and has potential clinical applications in obstetric disorders and women's health.
go.nature.com
December 12, 2024 at 8:31 PM
A potential new mRNA-based therapy for pre-eclampsia is demonstrated in a mouse study published in Nature. The method involves targeted delivery of mRNA to the placenta to restore normal maternal blood pressure and improve foetal health. 🧪
Reposted by Karen Forbes
Worldwide trends in diabetes prevalence and treatment from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants 👩🔬🔬🥼 #Diabetes #Type1diabetes #Type2diabetes #MedSky #Lancet
Full details 👇
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Full details 👇
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Worldwide trends in diabetes prevalence and treatment from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants
In most countries, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, diabetes
treatment has not increased at all or has not increased sufficiently in comparison
with the rise in prevalence. The bu...
www.thelancet.com
November 26, 2024 at 6:31 PM
Worldwide trends in diabetes prevalence and treatment from 1990 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 1108 population-representative studies with 141 million participants 👩🔬🔬🥼 #Diabetes #Type1diabetes #Type2diabetes #MedSky #Lancet
Full details 👇
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Full details 👇
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Reposted by Karen Forbes
The source of the wonderful,,
🎈▶️Starter Pack Directory◀️🎈
Just search for the kinds of followers you'd like to pop up in your feed, open the Starter Pack that looks good & use the 'Follow All' button to do as the name suggests! Next, search for more!
Easy 🫛
🎈▶️Starter Pack Directory◀️🎈
Just search for the kinds of followers you'd like to pop up in your feed, open the Starter Pack that looks good & use the 'Follow All' button to do as the name suggests! Next, search for more!
Easy 🫛
Starter packs are genius, but I was surprised there wasn't a list of them for people to find.
So I built it:
blueskydirectory.com/starter-pack...
The website monitors the packs being shared and adds the ones it finds to the database.
Missed your stater pack? Message me and I'll get it added.
So I built it:
blueskydirectory.com/starter-pack...
The website monitors the packs being shared and adds the ones it finds to the database.
Missed your stater pack? Message me and I'll get it added.
All - Bluesky Directory
A curated collection of all things relating to the Blue Sky social media platform.
blueskydirectory.com
November 17, 2024 at 1:56 AM
The source of the wonderful,,
🎈▶️Starter Pack Directory◀️🎈
Just search for the kinds of followers you'd like to pop up in your feed, open the Starter Pack that looks good & use the 'Follow All' button to do as the name suggests! Next, search for more!
Easy 🫛
🎈▶️Starter Pack Directory◀️🎈
Just search for the kinds of followers you'd like to pop up in your feed, open the Starter Pack that looks good & use the 'Follow All' button to do as the name suggests! Next, search for more!
Easy 🫛
On my way back from another fabulous week in Brussels 🇧🇪🇪🇺
Wonderful people and great science (and beer)!
Wonderful people and great science (and beer)!
November 15, 2024 at 6:56 PM
On my way back from another fabulous week in Brussels 🇧🇪🇪🇺
Wonderful people and great science (and beer)!
Wonderful people and great science (and beer)!
Reposted by Karen Forbes
November 9, 2024 at 11:49 PM
Our BHF funded PhD student Manon Owen successfully defended her PhD recently.
Congratulations Manon! 🤩🥳🥂
Manon investigated the role of metformin, extracellular vesicles & miRNAs on placental & fetal development in GDM. 👀 papers will follow soon👀
#miRNA #extracellularvesicles #DevBio #reprorocks
Congratulations Manon! 🤩🥳🥂
Manon investigated the role of metformin, extracellular vesicles & miRNAs on placental & fetal development in GDM. 👀 papers will follow soon👀
#miRNA #extracellularvesicles #DevBio #reprorocks
November 10, 2024 at 9:01 AM
Our BHF funded PhD student Manon Owen successfully defended her PhD recently.
Congratulations Manon! 🤩🥳🥂
Manon investigated the role of metformin, extracellular vesicles & miRNAs on placental & fetal development in GDM. 👀 papers will follow soon👀
#miRNA #extracellularvesicles #DevBio #reprorocks
Congratulations Manon! 🤩🥳🥂
Manon investigated the role of metformin, extracellular vesicles & miRNAs on placental & fetal development in GDM. 👀 papers will follow soon👀
#miRNA #extracellularvesicles #DevBio #reprorocks