Sarah Wernimont, MD, PhD

Dr. Wernimont is a physician-scientist who cares for individuals with complicated pregnancies and whose basic science program is directed towards defining the mechanisms by which alterations in maternal nutrient availability  impair placental development. Dr. Wernimont’s research program is housed within the Division of Molecular Medicine within the Department of Medicine. In her laboratory, Dr. Wernimont combines cutting-edge static and isotope tracing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics with CRISPR/Cas9 gene disruption in multiple cell culture models to define how mitochondrial nutrient flux regulates trophoblast differentiation.  Her clinical research program is directed towards identifying better ways to deliver care for patients with diabetes in pregnancy, and relies heavily on the University of Minnesota Obstetric Measures (UMOMs) database that includes over 80,000 patients and 120,000 births from the MHealth/Fairview System. The overarching goal of Dr. Wernimont’s research is to use innovative approaches to answer fundamental questions of trophoblast biology, which combined with her clinical research, supports her long term goal of improving pregnancy and lifelong offspring health for patients with diabetes and obesity.