Ayelen Moreno, PhD

Professional Background

Dr. Ayelen Moreno is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and a member of the Institute for Reproductive and Developmental Sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). She earned her PhD in Biology at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina, supported by a CONICET fellowship. Her doctoral research focused on the molecular signaling mechanisms underlying sperm chemotaxis and capacitation in mammals, while also fostering collaborations with the National Autonomous University of Mexico. During this time, she also taught undergraduate courses in molecular and cell biology. Following her doctoral training, Dr. Moreno joined the laboratory of Dr. Michael J. Soares at KUMC as a postdoctoral fellow to expand her expertise in animal models and placental biology. Her postdoctoral work centered on the mechanisms regulating trophoblast cell lineage development and uterine–placental interface remodeling. She contributed to defining the chromatin landscapes of human trophoblast stem (TS) cells and led efforts to derive patient-specific TS cell lines from chorionic villus biopsies. More recently, she has applied single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate early events in extravillous trophoblast (EVT) lineage specification. Dr. Moreno’s research accomplishments have been supported by fellowships from the Lalor Foundation, K-INBRE, and the Biomedical Research Training Program, as well as an International Joint Research Support grant that enabled specialized training in genome editing of human TS cells at Kumamoto University. She currently holds a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, supporting her transition to an independent research career.

• BS, Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, National University of La Plata , La Plata, Buenos Aires
• PhD, Reproductive Biology, National University of Córdoba , Córdoba, Córdoba
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Placentation/Trophoblast Cell Lineage Development, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS

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Research

Overview

Dr. Moreno’s research focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern human placental development, particularly the differentiation of trophoblast cells. During pregnancy, trophoblast cells from the placenta invade the uterine spiral arteries and facilitate the remodeling required for proper blood supply to the fetus. Cytotrophoblasts, an undifferentiated and proliferative subpopulation, give rise to extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells, which are terminally differentiated and actively restructure the uterine environment. Impaired EVT development can lead to complications such as early pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and preterm birth. Dr. Moreno uses human trophoblast stem (TS) cells, which can be maintained in vitro and differentiated into EVT cells under defined conditions, to study the regulatory mechanisms driving self-renewal and early differentiation events. By applying single-cell RNA sequencing, proteomics, and phospho-proteomics, she aims to identify the distinct cell populations and candidate regulators that emerge during the initial stages of EVT differentiation, providing insights that could inform strategies to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

• Early Events in Extravillous Trophoblast Cell Differentiation, NIH-EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, PI

• Varberg, Kaela., M, Moreno-Irusta, Ayelen, Novoa, Allynson , Musser, Brynne , Varberg, Joseph ., M, Goering, Jeremy ., P, Saadi, Irfan , Iqbal, Khursheed , Okae, Hiroaki , Arima, Takahiro , Williams III, John , Pisarska, Margareta , Soares, Michael., J. 2025. Leveraging chorionic villus biopsies for the derivation of patient-specific trophoblast stem cells.. Communications Biology
• Varberg, Kaela., L, Dominguez, Esteban ., M, Koseva, Boryana , Varberg, Joseph ., M, McNally, Ross ., P, Moreno Irusta, Ayelen, Wesley, Emily ., R, Iqbal, Khursheed , Cheung, Warren ., A, Schwendinger-Schreck, Carl , Smail , Craig , Okae, Hiroaki , Arima, Takahiro , Lydic, Michael , Holoch, Kristin , Marsh, Courtney , Soares, Michael ., J, Grundberg, Elin . 2023. Extravillous trophoblast cell lineage development is associated with active remodeling of the chromatin landscape. Nature Communications
• Iqbal, Khursheed , Dominguez, Esteban ., M, Nixon, Brandon, Moreno-Irusta, Ayelen, Crnkovich, Benjamin , Scott, Regan., L, Vu, Ha T H , Tuteja, Geetu, Vivian, Jay ., L, Soares , Michael ., J. 2024. Conditionally mutant animal model for investigating the invasive trophoblast cell lineage. Development
• Shukla, Vinay , Moreno-Irusta, Ayelen, Varberg, Kaela ., M, Kuna, Marija, Galligos, Anna ., M, Aplin, John., D, Choudhury, Ruhul ., H, Okae, Hiroaki , Arima, Takahiro , Soares, Michael., J. 2024. NOTUM-mediated WNT silencing drives extravillous trophoblast cell lineage development. Proc Natl Acad Sci
• Dominguez, Esteban., M, Moreno Irusta, Ayelen, Scott, Regan ., L, Iqbal, Khursheed , Soares, Michael., J. 2024. TFAP2C is a key regulator of intrauterine trophoblast cell invasion and deep hemochorial placentation. JCI Insight .
• Kozai, Keisuke , Moreno Irusta, Ayelen, Iqbal, Khursheed , Winchester, Mae-Lan , Scott, Regan., L, Simon, Mikaela ., E, Muto, Masanaga, Parrish, Marc ., R. 2023. The AKT1-FOXO4 axis reciprocally regulates hemochorial placentation. Development
• Moreno Irusta, Ayelen, Dominguez, Esteban ., M, Iqbal, Khursheed, Zhang, Xiaoyu , Wang, Ning , Soares, Michael., J. 2024. TAF7L regulates early stages of male germ cell development in the rat. FASEB J