About
Dr Jane Cleal is a lectures in Reproductive Cell Biology in the Faculty of medicine at the University of Southampton.
‘My research investigates the molecular mechanisms that regulate the placenta and maternal tissues during pregnancy so as to translate the findings into interventions to improve pregnancy outcome and fetal growth.’
Dr Cleal completed her PhD in 2005 with Professor Hanson and Dr Green at the University of Southampton and working at the Royal Veterinary College, London. She developed an ovine model showing for the first time that fetal nutrition determines ovine adult CV function and influences postnatal nutrient restriction response (Cleal et al., 2007 PNAS). Dr Cleal remained in Southampton, supported by a School of Medicine Career Track Fellowship. Her studies in humans have made significant progress in understanding how amino acids get out of the human placenta and into the fetal circulation. Dr Cleal was appointed to her current post as a lecturer in the FoM in 2010.
She now leads a research team integrating whole systems biology with cellular and molecular mechanisms in relation to fundamental developmental physiology, reproductive and pregnancy disorders (see Research pages) and collaborates with a number of national and international researchers. She is a committee member on several panels including the BBSRC and International Workshop for Vitamin D.
Dr Cleal’s interfaculty education roles span undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for the Faculties of Medicine and Environmental & Life Sciences and include Deputy Programme lead for the BM6 widening access to medicine degree (see Teaching section). Her outreach activities introduce both the public and school children to reproductive science and making healthy life choices.