About Dr. Vora
Neeta Vora, MD, is triple boarded in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Clinical Genetics. She completed her residency and fellowship at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, and joined UNC OB-GYN’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in 2012. She is now a Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Genetics and serves as the Director of Reproductive Genetics at UNC.
Dr. Vora has authored more than 70 articles on prenatal genetics, ranging from cell free DNA to whole exome and genome sequencing. She has a K23 from the NICHD to study use of new genomic technologies in obstetrics and an R21 to study novel genes critical to human brain development in a zebrafish model. She is a co-investigator on a multicenter prenatal whole genome sequencing grant.
Current Research
Vora (Site PI)
9/20/2021 – 6/30/2025
Advancements in prenatal genetic screening have significantly improved the identification of chromosomal abnormalities and heritable conditions during pregnancy, yet current standards for patient education in this domain are largely ineffective. The most effective approach to education about prenatal screening, is one-on-one genetic counseling, but due to the limited number of counselors this is not feasible, especially in rural and frontier areas. We will address this national problem using a novel education game that can more effectively address this gap in healthcare decision-making.
Vora (PI)
8/12/2021 – 6/30/2026
Diagnostic tools, such as prenatal ultrasound and prenatal gene sequencing, have the capability to increase our understanding of fetal brain abnormalities (FBA). By intersecting human prenatal sequencing, bioinformatics filters to identify novel candidate genes, and functional modeling in an animal model, we aim to identify novel candidate genes specific to FBA; additionally, we will perform whole genome sequencing on a prospective cohort with FBA to increase our understanding of diagnostic yield and genotypes/phenotypes in a well characterized cohort. Our findings will shed light on the molecular underpinnings of human brain development and has the potential to improve pre- and postnatal counseling/management, and lead to novel preventive and therapeutic strategies that can be applied in the perinatal period.
For more information, contact Study Coordinator Kelly Gilmore (kelly_gilmore@med.unc.edu).
Vora (PI); Mentors: Powell, Berg, Boggess
7/6/2017 – 6/30/2021
The purpose of this project is to initiate career development to increase knowledge in genomics, bioinformatics, variant analysis, and ethical issues related to incorporating genomic technologies into obstetrics.
Role: Trainee
Wapner (PI); Vora (Co-I)
9/1/2018 – 8/31/2023
Our overarching hypothesis is that a portion of fetal structural anomalies will have a genetic etiology identified by whole genome sequencing and that prenatal knowledge of the genetic etiology of the anomaly will improve perinatal outcomes and reduce cost.
Role: Site PI
Vora (Co-I)
9/12/2019 – 6/30/2023
The purpose of this project is to understand how families prepare for a prenatal diagnosis of a genetic condition. The objective will be to examine the ways stakeholders understand the meaning of prenatal preparation after a genetic result, determine what resulting health-seeking and related social behaviors these stakeholders undertake or enable, and build a conceptual model of preparation to guide future research, practice and policy development. By building a multidimensional conceptual model of prenatal preparation and assessing its potential ethical, clinical, research, and practical implications, this project will lead to more coordinated efforts to inform and support families experiencing a fetal genetic condition.
Role: Site-PI