Donna Slater, University of Calgary

Research

Molecular Knockdown/Knockout Molecular Physiology Parturition Preterm Labour Prostaglandin Pathway G-Protein Coupled Receptors Myometrium Primary Myometrial Cell Culture

Latest papers

Obstetrical outcomes in pregnant patients following a gluten-free diet: A prospective cohort study.
International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
The association between neighborhood walkability and postpartum weight retention: A prospective cohort study.
Public health · 2026
Impact of couple vs. individual participation in pregnancy research: A comparative analysis of participant characteristics and study retention.
Annals of epidemiology · 2025

All 13 publications

Latest funding

Studying brain development from birth to school-entry age to understand the underpinnings of poor school readiness in children born moderate to late preterm
CIHR · 2025 · Co-investigator
$684,676
Examining child neurodevelopment, brain and mental health outcomes associated with prenatal cannabis use in the prospective All Our Families pregnancy cohort
CIHR · 2022 · Co-investigator
$499,956
Towards an improved understanding of myometrial quiescence and contraction: Differential regulation via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and control by regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2)
CIHR · 2020 · Nominated PI
$546,976

All 7 grants and awards

13 publications.

01

Obstetrical outcomes in pregnant patients following a gluten-free diet: A prospective cohort study.

Srajer A, Harris M, Santos J, Dalere J, King JA, Skiffington JC, Slater D, Leijser L, Metcalfe A

International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics2026

DOI: 10.1002/ijgo.70843 PMID: 41614439

02

The association between neighborhood walkability and postpartum weight retention: A prospective cohort study.

Salah H, Stephenson N, Skiffington J, Leijser LM, Slater D, Metcalfe A

Public health2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2026.106228 PMID: 41797076

03

Impact of couple vs. individual participation in pregnancy research: A comparative analysis of participant characteristics and study retention.

Lambert T, Stephenson N, Skiffington J, Slater D, Leijser LM, Metcalfe A

Annals of epidemiology2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2025.10.013 PMID: 41077159

04

The impact of relationship factors on antenatal depression in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pekarsky C, Skiffington J, Chaput K, Slater D, Leijser LM, Metcalfe A

Birth (Berkeley, Calif.)2025

DOI: 10.1111/birt.12862 PMID: 39133551

05

Social Media Recruitment Strategies to Recruit Pregnant Women Into a Longitudinal Observational Cohort Study: Usability Study.

Pekarsky C, Skiffington J, Leijser LM, Slater D, Metcalfe A

Journal of medical Internet research2022

DOI: 10.2196/40298 PMID: 36508244

06

Relationship Between Psychosocial Distress in Pregnancy and Two Genes Associated With Human Social Interaction: A Pilot Study.

Dewell S, Slater D, Benzies K, McDonald S, Tough S

SAGE open nursing2018

DOI: 10.1177/2377960818765272 PMID: 33415193

07

Patterns of change in anxiety and depression during pregnancy predict preterm birth.

Doktorchik C, Premji S, Slater D, Williamson T, Tough S, Patten S

Journal of affective disorders2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.10.001 PMID: 29053978

08

HoxA10 and HoxA11 Regulate the Expression of Contraction-Associated Proteins and Contribute to Regionalized Myometrium Phenotypes in Women.

Li Y, Li H, Xie N, Chen R, Lee AR, Slater D, Lye S, Dong X

Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)2018

DOI: 10.1177/1933719117699706 PMID: 28372536

09

Comparison of the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence and the Heaviness of Smoking Index in the Second and Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

Ma E, Brown N, Alshaikh B, Slater D, Yusuf K

Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco2017

DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntw271 PMID: 27698094

10

HoxA13 Stimulates Myometrial Cells to Secrete IL-1β and Enhance the Expression of Contraction-Associated Proteins.

Li H, Yu Y, Shi Y, Fazli L, Slater D, Lye S, Dong X

Endocrinology2016

DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-2005 PMID: 26982635

Studying brain development from birth to school-entry age to understand the underpinnings of poor school readiness in children born moderate to late preterm

Co-investigatorCIHR2025Project Grant

Principal investigators: Leijser, Lara M

Keywords: Brain Development; Moderate To Late Preterm Infants; Neuro-Imaging; Neurodevelopmental Outcomes; Preterm Birth; School Readiness

$684,676

Examining child neurodevelopment, brain and mental health outcomes associated with prenatal cannabis use in the prospective All Our Families pregnancy cohort

Co-investigatorCIHR2022Op. Gr.:Cannabis Res. in Longit. studies-Neurosciences, Ment. health/Addiction

Principal investigators: Chaput, Kathleen H; McDonald, Sheila W; Mcmorris, Carly A

Keywords: Cannabis; Mental Health; Neurodevelopment; Pregnancy; Prospective Cohort

$499,956

Towards an improved understanding of myometrial quiescence and contraction: Differential regulation via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and control by regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2)

Nominated PICIHR2020Project Grant

Principal investigators: Slater, Donna M

Keywords: G-Protein Coupled Receptors; Molecular Knockdown/Knockout; Molecular Physiology; Myometrium; Parturition; Preterm Labour; Primary Myometrial Cell Culture; Prostaglandin Pathway; Regulator Of G Protein Signaling; Uterine Contractility

$546,976

Identification of biomarkers for antenatal depression in early pregnancy and associations with Child developmental milestone achievement at 12 and 24 months of age in the All Our Families prospective cohort

Co-investigatorCIHR2018Operating Grant: ECI grants in Maternal, Reproductive, Child & Youth Health

Principal investigators: Chaput, Kathleen H

Keywords: Antenatal Depression; Cart Analysis; Cytokines; Infant Development; Inflammation; Machine-Learning

$70,000

Expression and function of GPCRs in the pregnant uterus

Principal investigatorNSERC2017Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Slater, Donna

$156,000

Molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of human labour: Steps towards improving the treatment of preterm labour

Nominated PICIHR2016Project Grant

Principal investigators: Slater, Donna M

Keywords: Cell Culture; G-Protein Coupled Receptor (Gpcr); Inflammatory Mediators; Molecular Knockdown/Knockout; Molecular Physiology; Parturition; Pregnant Uterus; Preterm Labour; Prostaglandin Pathway; Regulator Of G Protein Signaling (Rgs)

$100,000

Integrin Adhesion Signaling in the Cerebral Arterial Myogenic Response

Co-investigatorCIHR2014Operating Grant

Principal investigators: Cole, William C

Keywords: Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation; Cytoskeleton Reorganization; Goto-Kakizaki Type 2 Diabetic Rat; Myogenic Response; Myosin Light Chain Phosphatase; Rho Kinase Phosphorylation; Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat; Stroke-Prone Hypertensive Rat; Vascular Smooth Muscle; Vasoconstrictor

$793,703

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

Pediatrics
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Community Health Sciences
Physiology and Pharmacology
Psychology
Urologic Sciences
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Other

1 shared papers, latest 2015

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their CIHR grant from 2020

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Molecular Knockdown/Knockout Dear Professor Slater, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Obstetrical outcomes in pregnant patients following a gluten-free diet: A prospective cohort study." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your CIHR-funded project "Towards an improved understanding of myometrial quiescence and contraction: Differential regulation via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and control by regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2)" (2020), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

Donna Slater

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

Obstetrical outcomes in pregnant patients following a gluten-free diet: A prospective cohort study.

The association between neighborhood walkability and postpartum weight retention: A prospective cohort study.

Impact of couple vs. individual participation in pregnancy research: A comparative analysis of participant characteristics and study retention.

The impact of relationship factors on antenatal depression in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social Media Recruitment Strategies to Recruit Pregnant Women Into a Longitudinal Observational Cohort Study: Usability Study.

Relationship Between Psychosocial Distress in Pregnancy and Two Genes Associated With Human Social Interaction: A Pilot Study.

Patterns of change in anxiety and depression during pregnancy predict preterm birth.

HoxA10 and HoxA11 Regulate the Expression of Contraction-Associated Proteins and Contribute to Regionalized Myometrium Phenotypes in Women.

Comparison of the Fagerstr&#xf6;m Test for Cigarette Dependence and the Heaviness of Smoking Index in the Second and Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

HoxA13 Stimulates Myometrial Cells to Secrete IL-1&#x3b2; and Enhance the Expression of Contraction-Associated Proteins.

Studying brain development from birth to school-entry age to understand the underpinnings of poor school readiness in children born moderate to late preterm

Examining child neurodevelopment, brain and mental health outcomes associated with prenatal cannabis use in the prospective All Our Families pregnancy cohort

Towards an improved understanding of myometrial quiescence and contraction: Differential regulation via G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and control by regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (RGS2)

Identification of biomarkers for antenatal depression in early pregnancy and associations with Child developmental milestone achievement at 12 and 24 months of age in the All Our Families prospective cohort

Expression and function of GPCRs in the pregnant uterus

Molecular mechanisms underlying the onset of human labour: Steps towards improving the treatment of preterm labour

Integrin Adhesion Signaling in the Cerebral Arterial Myogenic Response

Frequent collaborators

Amy Metcalfe

Suzanne Tough

Sheila McDonald

Xuesen Dong

Stephen Lye

Kathleen Chaput

Shahirose Premji

Belal Alshaikh

Shahirose Premji

Lara Leijser

Shahirose Premji

Karen Benzies

Scott Patten

Tyler Williamson

Oksana Shynlova

Comparison of the Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence and the Heaviness of Smoking Index in the Second and Third Trimester of Pregnancy.

HoxA13 Stimulates Myometrial Cells to Secrete IL-1β and Enhance the Expression of Contraction-Associated Proteins.