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Mary C. Wallingford, PhD


Programs + Specialties
Training + Education University of Massachusetts- Amherst, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science (PhD); Boston University SED; University of Washington Department of Bioengineering (Giachelli Lab); University of Washington School of Medicine Cardiovascular Training Grant Program (T32HL007828).
Gender Female
Accepted Insurances View Accepted Insurances at Tufts Medical Center

2022, Appointed NIH/NICHD PN Study Section Early Career Reviewer
2021, Appointed Associate Editor, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
2021, WiMS Mentorship Seed Award 2021 Recipient
2021, Elected to Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Committee for Programs and Faculty
2020, Became Associate Editor of Molecular Human Reproduction (MHR)
2020, Appointed Chair of the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO)
2019, Appointed Co-Chair of the North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO) Membership Committee
2019, Served on the Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) Fellowship Review Committee
2019, Organizer for the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) meeting in Boston and Chair, of “From Polycomb to Transgenerational Inheritance” Epigenetics Session
2018, Judge Travel Award for Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
2017, NIH NICHD Pathway to Independence Award K99HD090198 (PI: Wallingford, MC)
2017, Perinatal Research Society Grant Writing Workshop NIH Young Investigator
2017, March of Dimes Conference Support Grant, joint with Manjiri Dighe and Martin Frasch
2017, UW SOM Office of Research and Graduate Education Conference Support Award
2016, University of Washington Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Travel Award
2016, Society for Developmental Biology Postdoc Travel Award
2013-2016, NIH NHLBI Cardiovascular Training Grant Program Trainee Appointment T32HL007828 (PI: Dichek, DM and Giachelli, CM)
2013, Society for Developmental Biology Science Illustration Flyer Competition Award Winner, Published in Dev Biol, 388(2): 148
2012, Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department Retreat First Place Poster
2012, Developmental Biology Student Image Competition First Place. Published in Dev Biol, 367(2): Cover Page
2011, Society for Developmental Biology Graduate Student Travel Award
2011, Society for Developmental Biology Annual Meeting Poster Competition Semi-finalist
2010, Northeastern Society for Developmental Biology Regional Meeting First Place Poster

For a complete list of Dr. Wallingford’s publications see: PubMed

"Application of Vascular Biology Research Approaches to the Study of Placentation in the Mouse," Zheijiang University College of Animal Sciences, Animal Sciences Virtual Seminar Series, July, 2021.

Regulation of Inorganic Phosphate at the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, Portland, OR, July, 2018.

Regulation of Inorganic Phosphate at the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Northeastern Regional Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, Woods Hole, MA, April, 2018.

Phosphate Transport and Mineral Deposition at the Vascular Maternal-Fetal Interface. NAVBO Annual Meeting. Pacific Grove, CA, October, 2017.

Evaluation of SLC20A2 haploinsufficiency-associated neurovascular calcification sheds new light on idiopathic basal ganglia calcification disease mechanisms. International Vascular Biology Meeting, Boston, MA, October, 2016.

Determination of developmental phosphate transport mechanisms. Society for Developmental Biology Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, September, 2016.

Placental Calcification: Longstanding Questions, Novel Models, and New Roles of Slc20a2. NAVBO Annual Meeting. Hyannis, MA, October, 2015.

Mary Wallingford was trained in the field of embryonic development in the Mager Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her doctoral research evaluated roles of the transcription factor and epigenetic regulator YY1 in early embryogenesis, including preimplantation, peri-implantation, and gastrulation stages. Her postdoctoral research in the Giachelli Lab at the University of Washington investigated the role of phosphate transporters in vascular development and disease at blood tissue barriers. She identified a novel cause of Slc20a2-linked neurovascular calcification and built an independent research program in phosphate transport biology of the maternal-fetal intferface. This work was supported in part by a trainee appointment in the NHLBI funded UW Cardiovascular Training Grant Program (PI: D. Dichek, T32HL007828) and by a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the NICHD (PI: M. Wallingford, K99HD090198). Dr. Wallingford’s current research brings the fields of embryology and vascular disease together to focus on development and pathophysiology of the least understood human organ: the placenta.

Perinatal Research Society (PRS), Associate Member
Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI)
North American Vascular Biology Organization (NAVBO)
Society of Developmental Biology (SDB)
American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS)

Vineetha Mathew, TUSM Candidate 2024, had an abstract accepted to the 14th International HHT Conference in October 2022

Wallingford Lab Member Receives Award

Wallingford Lab Member Receives Award - Read More
vascular biology meeting

Dr. Mary Wallingford at Vascular Biology 2021 Meeting

Dr. Mary Wallingford at Vascular Biology 2021 Meeting - Read More
Dr. Mary Wallingford

Wallingford Lab Presentations at 2021 MCRI Retreat

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Dr. Mary Wallingford

Wallingford Team is July NAVBO Lab of the Month

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Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

Dr. Mary Wallingford awarded grant

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Group of all MIRI researchers

MIRI researchers on the road

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Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

A third principal investigator joins MIRI

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Blue test tubes with one orange tube

Drs. Wallingford and O’Tierney-Ginn awarded new grants

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Dr. Mary Wallingford

Dr. Mary Wallingford elected to Tufts GSBS Programs and Faculty Committee

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Dr. Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn

MIRI PIs Mary Wallingford and Elizabeth Yen Receive WiMS Awards

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Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

Wallingford Lab receives honors and grants

Wallingford Lab receives honors and grants - Read More
Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

Dr. Mary Wallingford is 2021 Tufts MC PEW Applicant

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Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

Dr. Mary Wallingford recent grant and presentations

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Dr. Mary Wallingford is a principal researcher at Tufts MC

Dr. Mary Wallingford Conducts Webinar for North American Vascular Biology Organization

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Small Business Innovation Research R43
2020-2021
A synergistic in vitro-in silico model of the placental barrier for predicting fetal exposure and toxicity of xenobiotic compounds.
Role: Consultant

Dr. Herbert J. Levine Foundation for Cardiovascular Clinical Research
Beals Goodfellow Award
2019
The Tree of Life: Harnessing Placenta Biology for Cardiovascular Disease Research.
The goal of this study is to collect and analyze transcriptional placenta data with approaches that may complement ongoing cardiovascular disease research at Tufts Medical Center and provide novel avenues for long-term patient care.
Role: PI

Russo Family Charitable Foundation
2019
Maternal Transmission of the Effects of Stress Across Generations Through Gene Expression Changes in Early Embryos.
This proposal is designed to generate hypotheses, to be tested in future experiments, that explain how the negative consequences of female exposure to stress can be transmitted to offspring via epigenetic alterations of germ cells and/or early embryonic tissues, with a focus on the placenta.
Role: Co-PI

American Heart Association Career Development Award
2019-2022
Evaluation of the Biomedical Significance and Prognostic Value of Calcification in the Placenta.
The goal of this project is to mechanistically test whether placental vascular calcification profiles can be used as early markers of placental dysfunction through an approach that combines imaging, molecular, and histological techniques. AHA19CDA34660038
Role: PI

NIH/NICHD R00HD090198
2018-2022
Determination of Maternal-Fetal Phosphate Transport Mechanisms and the Role of Sodium-Dependent Phosphate Transporters in Extaembryonic Tissue.
Role: PI

NIH/NICHD K99HD090198
2017-2021
Determination ff Maternal-Fetal Phosphate Transport Mechanisms and the Role ff Sodium-Dependent Phosphate Transporters in Extraembryonic Tissues.
The major goals of this project are to determine molecular mechanisms of phosphate transport at the maternal-fetal interface, evaluate mechanisms of phosphate transport during pregnancy, and develop new technologies for assessment of placental development and physiology.
Role: Principal Investigator

UW SOM Office of Research and Graduate Education Grant
2017-2018
University of Washington School of Medicine
UW Placenta Research Network Seminars.
The goal of this seminar series was to provide continued education and research support to placenta researchers in the Pacific Northwest.
Role: Organizer, MPI

March of Dimes Scientific Conference Support Grant
2017
University of Washington School of Medicine
The Placenta: Connecting People and Promoting Growth.
The goals of this symposium were to provide education on placenta biology to trainees and those new to placenta research and to promote the development of collaborative, interdisciplinary placenta research projects.
Role: Organizer, MPI with Manjiri Dighe (UW Radiology) and Martin Frasch (UW ObGyn)


NIH/NHLBI T32HL007828
Cardiovascular Training Grant Program
2013-2016
University of Washington School of Medicine
The Role of Phosphate Transporters in Cardiovascular Development and Disease in the Mouse. The major goal of this project was to determine the role of phosphate transporters Slc20a1 and Slc20a2 in vascular calcification mechanisms at blood tissue barriers, including cerebral vessels (blood brain barrier) and extraembryonic tissues (blood placenta barrier).
Role: Trainee, Mentored by David Dichek (UW Cardiology) and Cecilia Giachelli (UW Bioengineering)

The research focus in the Wallingford Lab is development and pathophysiology of the placenta. The placenta contains highly specialized vasculature that mediates interaction between maternal and fetal circulatory systems during pregnancy. Impaired placental growth or function can have dire impact on maternal and fetal health. In the long-term, Dr. Wallingford aims to advance knowledge of placental development and assist in the development of early diagnostics and novel therapeutics for disorders of placental insufficiency or dysfunction. Specific areas of interest include maternal-fetal phosphate transport biology, morphogenetic analysis of placentation, and development of new approaches to assess vascular structure and function at the maternal-fetal interface.