Understanding the mechanisms that lead to the development of this life-threatening disease
Dr. Bautista is a neonatologist and assistant professor at UC Davis Children’s Hospital and has been an active and valued member of the NEC Society’s Research Incubator since 2023. Her clinical interests include intestinal injury in the extremely premature infant population, specifically necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP), and other surgical GI-related diseases such as short bowel syndrome.
Her research is focused on impaired gut motility and intestinal adaptation in the setting of prematurity. She is particularly interested in the role of the mechanosensitive cation channel, Piezo1, in gut maturation and regulation of intestinal processes in specific gastrointestinal pathologies affecting the neonate. Dr. Bautista uses a basic/translational approach with conditional and inducible knock-out mouse models and human tissue correlates.
Through the support of this award, Dr. Bautista will launch a two-year research project aimed at accelerating our understanding of NEC pathogenesis—the mechanisms that lead to the development of this life-threatening disease. Her work holds the potential to uncover critical insights that could lead to NEC prevention, earlier diagnosis, and innovative treatments for vulnerable newborns.
At the NEC Society, we are committed to fostering the next generation of researchers and clinicians who are determined to build a world without NEC. Dr. Bautista exemplifies this mission through her expertise, scientific curiosity, and dedication to this field.
