Our current on-going clinical projects work toward our research lab’s main goal of understanding the relationships within the gut-brain axis during pregnancy and postpartum. We strive to gain knowledge that could eventually lead to better prevention and more accurate diagnosing of perinatal mental health problems and spontaneous preterm birth.

Interested in joining the MoMent study?

MoMent: Moms & Mental Health Clinical Research Study

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The MoMent Study is an observational research study through the BioEngineering for All Lab (BEA Lab) at University of Illinois Chicago in partnership with the UI Health Women’s Clinic. We are a woman-run research team focused on understanding how pregnancy changes the brain and mood. 

  • Approximately 10-20% of women experience clinical depression during pregnancy or the first 12 months of postpartum, but fewer than 24% of these women are diagnosed.
  • Every year, there are 3.6 million births in the U.S., but we don’t know exactly how pregnancy changes our brain.
  • African American and Hispanic women are at an increased risk of mental health changes during pregnancy & after birth.
  • A woman’s mental health can impact her & her baby’s health throughout & even years after pregnancy.

We are currently recruiting women for our study of mood disorders during pregnancy and postpartum in relationship with the microorganisms that reside inside us (IRB#2014-0325). If you are interested in participating in our study, please take our eligibility survey at the top of the page to determine if you qualify.

By being part of this study, you could help us learn more about pregnancy and mental health. What we discover could help doctors and researchers better support pregnant women in the future. Your participation is an important part of helping improve women’s health for many others down the road.