The Graduate Research Fellowship in Toxicology from Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. supports students involved in non-clinical and in vivo toxicology research. Fourth year Ph.D. student Samantha Adams was chosen as the 2024-2025 recipient of this competitive fellowship. Her work focuses on studying the maternal cardiovascular health outcomes after inhalation of particulate matter (PM) during pregnancy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the development of a Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) like phenotype after gestational inhalation of nano-titanium dioxide and identify the role pregnancy-induced hormonal changes have on its development and exacerbation using a pregnant rat model. While PPCM is a leading cause of maternal death it’s etiology and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. A lack of complete understanding and availability of clinical biomarkers makes this disease difficult to recognize, diagnose, and treat. Therefore, prognosis after diagnosis is often grim, with maternal mortality rates reaching as high as 50%. This work is intended to identify the role PM plays in PPCM’s onset and progression, and to shed light on the underlying molecular mechanism to provide targets for biomarker discovery and therapeutic intervention. The Fellowship will support Samantha’s research costs, stipend, and allow for personalized mentoring from expert scientists at Bristol-Myers Squibb.