The Santillan lab is particularly interested in the relationship between maternal health during pregnancy and the short and long-term health effects to the mother and child. Specifically, their current work focuses on the early mechanisms involved in the development of preeclampsia, including immunological and vascular function changes during pregnancy. A central focus in the lab is investigating the predictive, preventative, therapeutic and curative potential of the arginine vasopressin pathway in preeclampsia.