Kiara Piaggio ’24 is using her biology background for good. Alongside colleagues from Loma Linda University and Medical Center, Piaggio co-authored a new study that examines how inflammation and low oxygen levels can damage the brains of premature infants.
Published in Frontiers in Systems Biology, the research focused on preterm hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (pHIE) — a condition that occurs when a premature baby’s brain does not receive enough oxygen and blood flow. While current treatments are effective for full-term infants with HIE, they do not improve outcomes for premature babies with pHIE.
“This project caught my attention because of its clinical relevance and potential impact on vulnerable patient populations, which is something I’m very interested in and passionate about,” Piaggio said.
To better understand the risk factors that contribute to pHIE, the research team developed a cost-effective study using rodents. Unlike older models that only study oxygen loss, this one included two factors: inflammation in the mother during pregnancy and low oxygen exposure after birth.
The results were clear: Mouse pups exposed to both maternal inflammation and low oxygen showed the most severe brain damage. They had higher levels of a protein that signals cell death and lower levels of a protein important for healthy neurons.
According to the study, the inclusion of maternal inflammation created a model that more closely reflects what doctors see in real preterm infants. The researchers believe this approach could help scientists better understand how early inflammation and oxygen loss work together to cause injury.
Excellence in scientific research is nothing new for Piaggio. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in Professor Hector Valenzuela’s tissue culture lab; she went on to receive Whittier's departmental awards for Outstanding Academic Achievement and Outstanding Academic Achievement & Research in Biology at graduation.
Piaggio also credits Valenzuela with introducing her to the team at Loma Linda leading the pHIE study.
“He guided me throughout the application and taught me some of the lab techniques the project would use,” she said.
Now a first-year medical student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Piaggio is particularly interested in trauma and acute care surgery with a focus on community health. Reflecting on her time as a Poet, she said, “I believe my experiences at Whittier provided a strong academic and professional foundation that helped me reach this point and will continue to guide my future goals.”
