Submitted by Livia Harriman on Tue, 05/03/2024 - 12:17
Karolinska Institutet has decided to award honorary doctorates to Ashley Moffett, professor emerita at the University of Cambridge, UK, for her significant contributions to science and KI, respectively. The formal ceremony will occur at the conferment ceremony in Stockholm City Hall on 26 April.
Professor Ashley Moffet is awarded KI’s honorary doctorate for a lifetime of research that has made groundbreaking discoveries concerning the biological mechanisms behind pregnancy-related severe conditions. These include preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and unexplained fetal death, which together affect up to 10 per cent of all pregnancies.
Focus on diseases during pregnancy
Professor Moffet’s research has found that these diseases originate from critical interactions between natural killer (NK) cells in the decidua (the part of the uterus where the embryo is implanted) and the cells that form the placenta (trophoblasts), which derive from the fetus.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the honorary doctorate from Karolinska Institutet,” says Ashley Moffett, a doctor and specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology. Karolinska Institutet was where NK cells were first discovered and described. These groundbreaking studies have been essential to my work as a researcher.”
Internationally, Professor Moffett has been recognised for her work in developing countries, such as Uganda, where she has helped to develop national programmes for research, education, and information in maternal healthcare.
This extract is taken from the following article: https://news.cision.com/karolinska-institutet/r/ashley-moffett-and-peter...