About DaLiao Xiao, PhD, DVM

The overarching objective of my laboratory is to explore the impact of adverse environmental exposures during pregnancy on fetal programming of neuro- and cardiovascular diseases. My research has centered on various projects investigating maternal exposure to adverse environmental factors such as hypoxia, cigarette smoking, and e-cigarette/nicotine vaping, and their implications for fetal development during pregnancy. Early in my career, I conducted pivotal studies focused on the fundamental mechanisms underling cellular and molecular regulation in pregnancy-induced changes in uteroplacental circulation under hypoxic conditions. Using the uterine artery as a model for vascular function, I successfully employed this framework to examine the impact of adverse environmental exposures on fetal development. Over the past two decades, I have broadened my research scope to include fetal programming of cardiovascular diseases in response to adverse prenatal environmental exposures. As the Principal Investigator (PI) on California TRDRP-funded grants (18KT-0024, 22XT-0022, T29IR0437 & T34IR8076), NIH/DA032510, NIH/DA041492, NIH/R01HL135623, R01HD088039, and U01DA058278 grants, I laid the groundwork for the currently carrying on research by developing the pregnant rat model of e-cigarette exposure and providing strong evidence that fetal exposure to e-cigarettes/nicotine increases the risk of cardiovascular dysfunction in offspring.

Epigenetic programming during fetal life is a pivotal area of modern medicine, with increasing evidence suggesting that adverse in utero environments predispose individuals to diseases later in life. Thus, I aim to extend my research to better understand the epigenetic molecular mechanisms underlying perinatal e-cigarette exposure-induced cardiovascular disease and develop interventions to mitigate these effects.