The placenta is immensely important for supporting the development of the fetus. Any failure of the placenta to function optimally can impact not only fetal development, but also cause pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, increase maternal mortality and morbidity, and impact the lifelong health of both mother and child. Despite its importance, the placenta is the least understood, and least studied, of all human organs. NICHD's human placenta project (HPP) is a collaborative research effort to develop new tools for studying how the placenta develops and functions across pregnancy, in real time and in a safe and non-invasive manner.

The goal of the HPP meeting is to answer two broad questions:

• What is the current state of placental knowledge and assessment capability?
• What are the key gaps and opportunities that need to be addressed going forward?

This meeting brings together multidisciplinary experts and broad thinkers, including computer scientists, engineers, placental biologists, clinicians, and patients, to discuss lessons learned from HPP research and engage in active discussions about possible future directions for HPP and placental research. 

Day 1 Videocast

Day 2 Videocast