The focus of my lab has shifted toward a protein called Placenta-specific protein 1 (PLAC1). We study the role this protein plays in both gynecologic cancers and gestational disorders. We have shown that PLAC1 is significantly under-expressed in the placentas of women who develop preeclampsia. We have also shown that PLAC1 is significantly over-expressed in gynecologic cancers and that the tumor suppressor p53 plays an important role in regulating PLAC1 expression in these cancers.