Dr. Allison Felker BSc (Hons), PhD
Senior Researcher - MBRRACE-UK allison.felker@npeu.ox.ac.uk
Biography
Allison joined the NPEU in April 2023 as a researcher for MBRRACE-UK. Allison received her PhD in Reproductive Biology from Queen's University (Canada) and BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Waterloo (Canada).
Prior to joining NPEU, Allison worked at McMaster University (Canada) as a postdoctoral researcher and at the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), where she conducted evidence reviews and contributed to public health projects including those related to perinatal mental health, substance use in pregnancy, and maternal mortality.
Publications
Felker AM, Nguyen P, Kaushic C (2021). Primary HSV-2 Infection in Early Pregnancy Results in Transplacental Viral Transmission and Dose-Dependent Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in a Novel Mouse Model. Viruses.13(10):1929
Wessels JM, Nguyen PV, Vitali D, Mueller K, Vahedi F, Felker AM, Dupont HA, Bagri P, Verschoor CP, Deshiere A, Mazzulli T, Tremblay MJ, Ashkar AA, Kaushic C (2021). Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) enhances susceptibility and increases the window of vulnerability to HIV-1 in humanized mice. Sci Rep. 11(1):3894
Hebert JF, Millar JA, Raghavan R, Romney A, Podrabsky JE, Rennie MY, Felker AM, O'Tierney-Ginn P, Morita M, DuPriest EA, Morgan TK (2021). Male fetal sex affects uteroplacental angiogenesis in growth restriction mouse model. Biol Reprod. 104(4):924-934
Vitali D, Bagri P, Wessels JM, Arora M, Ganugula R, Parikh A, Mandur T, Felker A, Garg S, Kumar MNVR, Kaushic C (2020). Curcumin Can Decrease Tissue Inflammation and the Severity of HSV-2 Infection in the Female Reproductive Mucosa. Int J Mol Sci. 21(1):337
Wessels JM, Lajoie J, Cooper MIJH, Omollo K, Felker AM, Vitali D, Dupont HA, Nguyen PV, Mueller K, Vahedi F, Kimani J, Oyugi J, Cheruiyot J, Mungai JN, Deshiere A, Tremblay MJ, Mazzulli T, Stearns JC, Ashkar AA, Fowke KR, Surette MG, Kaushic C (2019). Medroxyprogesterone acetate alters the vaginal microbiota and microenvironment in women and increases susceptibility to HIV-1 in humanized mice. Dis Model Mech. 12(10):dmm039669
Wessels JM, Felker AM, Dupont HA, Kaushic C (2018). The relationship between sex hormones, the vaginal microbiome and immunity in HIV-1 susceptibility in women. Dis Model Mech. 11(9):dmm035147
Felker AM, Croy BA (2017). Natural cytotoxicity receptor 1 in mouse uNK cell maturation and function. Mucosal Immunol. 10(5):1122-1132
Felker AM, Croy BA (2016). Uterine natural killer cell partnerships in early mouse decidua basalis. J Leukoc Biol. 100(4):645-655
Felker AM, Croy BA (2016). Promotion of Early Pregnancy Events in Mice and Humans by Uterine Natural Killer Cells. Neoreviews. 17(2): e93–e101.
Leon L, Felker AM, Kay VR, Tu MM, Makrigiannis AP, Croy BA (2016). Ly49 knockdown in mice results in aberrant uterine crypt formation and impaired blastocyst implantation. Placenta. 39:147-50
Redhead ML, Portilho NA, Felker AM, Mohammad S, Mara DL, Croy BA (2016). The Transcription Factor NFIL3 Is Essential for Normal Placental and Embryonic Development but Not for Uterine Natural Killer (UNK) Cell Differentiation in Mice. Biol Reprod. 94(5):101
Rätsep MT, Felker AM, Kay VR, Tolusso L, Hofmann AP, Croy BA (2015). Uterine natural killer cells: supervisors of vasculature construction in early decidua basalis. Reproduction. 149(2):R91-102
Felker AM, Chen Z, Foster WG, Croy BA. (2013). Receptors for non-MHC ligands contribute to uterine natural killer cell activation during pregnancy in mice. Placenta. 34(9):757-64
Projects
