Dr. Oksana Shynlova

Advancing women's health across the lifespan, from preterm birth to pelvic floor disorders

Our research program focuses on two health issues affecting millions of women both in their reproductive years, such as preterm birth, and after their menopause, such as pelvic floor disorders. Our team has written over 100 publications that span various topics including the biology of myometrium, which are the muscles that line the uterus, preterm birth, reproductive tissues physiology and pathology. Our research focuses on preterm birth prediction and prevention through identification of maternal blood markers, development of mouse models of preterm birth, and investigation of novel pharmaceuticals for preterm birth prevention. 

We are also interested in uterine function during pregnancy and labour, and in labour initiation. With regards to pelvic floor disorders, including pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, we are investigating the molecular mechanisms of these disorders and hormonal protection of vaginal tissues. Finally, we are investigating the benefits of local estrogen therapy for postmenopausal women protection from pelvic floor deterioration, recurrent urinary tract infections via modification of urinary microbiome, and development of cell therapies using reprogrammed patient-specific cells. 

Our work is highly collaborative, and we work closely with Dr. Stephen Lye, Senior Investigator at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, and LTRI colleagues Drs. Lubna Nadeem and Mark Kibschull. We also collaborate with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell at the University of Toronto , urogynecologist Dr. May Alarab and anesthesiologist Dr. Mrinalini Balki at Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as graduate students, clinical fellows, and technicians.