Human Placenta Project Research Findings

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development’s Human Placenta Project is an effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human placenta and to enable the development of safe, noninvasive, real-time assessment of human placenta development and function across pregnancy.

Magnetic resonance imaging machine in a hospital room.

Explore research highlights on the development of new imaging approaches to assess placental function.

A person in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner.

Learn how NICHD research groups are advancing safe, noninvasive placental imaging techniques.

3D illustration of a fetus in utero with the placenta illuminated.

Learn about research groups that are studying placentomics, cell-free DNA and RNA screening, ultrasound technology, and more.

A health care provider takes blood from the inner arm of a pregnant person.

Learn about research groups studying placental circulation factors.

Illustration of bacteria of different shapes, including cocci and rod-shaped bacteria.

Learn about research on the effects of metabolism and microbes on placental health.