Chris Herrera, M.D., is a clinician and researcher dedicated to understanding and detecting placental disease. An Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Herrera received The Cary Council’s Early-Stage Research Grant in 2023 to support her placenta research. She recently sat down with Lili Clark of the Learning From Leaders podcast to discuss her research, clinical work, and the importance of philanthropy and mentorship.
“I think I applied for about seven grants before I ever got a ‘yes.’”
Christina Herrera, M.D.
Understanding Placental Disease
While completing her residency at UT Southwestern, Dr. Herrera saw firsthand how medicine’s general reluctance to study pregnant women has translated to a poor understanding of why certain diseases occur during pregnancy. This hesitancy has made it difficult to predict which patients are at risk for diseases including preeclampsia and placenta accreta spectrum–and challenging to effectively intervene. Since residency, Dr. Herrera has engaged in research to better understand placental disease, both by applying imaging techniques used in neurologic and cancer care to the placenta and by analyzing blood. Her research looks at placental imaging and patterns within pregnant women’s blood, tracking changes both throughout pregnancy and between healthy patients and those with disease. As Dr. Herrera states, this information “gives us ideas for pathways that we can investigate to create treatment.”
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A Path Guided by Mentorship
Dr. Herrera first became interested in imaging when Diane Twickler, M.D., a mentor and Professor of Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern, introduced her to more advanced imaging techniques. Dr. Herrera’s initial interest in using sonography and MRI to detect fetal abnormalities shifted to the placenta. While Dr. Herrera was a resident, Dr. Twickler developed a predictive index and standardized protocol for placenta accreta spectrum, a pregnancy complication in which the placenta fails to detach from the uterine wall following childbirth. Later, as a fellow in Maternal Fetal Medicine at UT Southwestern, Dr. Herrera began refining her mentor’s index, using data to determine how well ultrasound imaging predictions match what occurs at delivery. Currently, Dr. Herrera is sharing her research and promoting the index, including at the NIH. Broader adoption of the index throughout the country will allow clinicians to collect more consistent data, further refine the Placenta Accreta Index1, and offer better pregnancy care.
Fostering a Multidisciplinary Approach
Dr. Herrera’s placental research group includes partners from across the university, including radiology, pathology, neonatology, and biomedical engineering. To her, the strength of this approach lies in its diverse perspectives and ability to bridge the divide between basic science research and clinical research. Such an approach fosters dialog and allows physicians to directly apply the techniques basic scientists develop in the lab.
For her part, Dr. Herrera’s clinical experience at Parkland Health continues to inform her research. As a physician, she staffs the sonography unit and oversees the resident-run obstetrics clinic. This work puts her face to face with patients experiencing high-risk pregnancies, some of whom she recruits for her research studies, which in turn inform her clinical approach. For example, Dr. Herrera and her colleagues have been applying the placenta accreta index to both predict disease and “provide the safest delivery plan” for patients.
A Mentee Provides Mentorship
Dr. Herrera believes that mentorship is key to pursuing a successful research career, citing her own relationships with Drs. Twickler and Spong, Professor and Chair of the OB/GYN Department. As an early career investigator, Dr. Herrera is now beginning to mentor the next generation of physician-scientists, including fellows, residents, and medical students. To her, a successful mentorship relationship hinges on buy-in from both the mentor and mentee. She emphasizes the significance of “finding the people that are invested in your [future] success.” Beyond these relationships, she highlights the importance of persistence, especially in the face of failed applications for funding. As she notes, “I think I applied for about seven grants before I ever got a ‘yes.’”
Research Fueled by Philanthropy
One important ‘yes’ that Dr. Herrera did receive was The Cary Council’s 2023 Early-Stage Research Grant. Dr. Herrera notes the challenge of securing funding when beginning research: most funding requires preliminary data, but gathering this data requires costly resources and staff. Comprised of young community leaders and philanthropists, The Cary Council seeks to bridge this gap by providing $50,000 seed funds to promising early-career scientists at UT Southwestern. Since its inception nearly a decade ago, The Council has awarded grants to 21 early career researchers, resulting in over $21 million in further funding that benefits the North Texas community and beyond. As Dr. Herrera states, “This seed funding is critically important to get your foot through the door.”
1. Rac MW, Dashe JS, Wells CE, Moschos E, McIntire DD, Twickler DM. Ultrasound predictors of placental invasion: the Placenta Accreta Index. Am J Obstet Gynecol. Mar 2015;212(3):343 e1-7. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2014.10.022
