Photo: Christina Gandolfo
Geneticist Marlena Fejzo, like many women, suffered extreme morning sickness during her first pregnancy.
When the symptoms returned during her second - escalating to the point she could do nothing but lay flat on her back - she sought medical help. But her doctor brushed off her symptoms, claiming many women play it up, for attention of sympathy. Marlena Fejzo miscarried - her body too frail from the unrelenting sickness, to support a baby.
She had hyperemesis gravidarum, also known as HG, the medical term for the most severe form of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It is more extreme than morning sickness, can lead to weight loss and dehydration, and can require hospitalisation.
So, she set out to use her own expertise to solve the problem. Last year discovering the gene behind hyperemesis gravidarum, and paving a path for scientists to begin looking for a cure.
She is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Southern California, and has recently opened a clinic in the US to treat women affected by hyperemesis gravidarum.
