The Indiana University Center for
Pharmacogenetics and Therapeutics Research in Maternal and Child Health (PREGMED)
research program at Indiana University School of Medicine Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology focuses on optimizing medication use in pregnancy to
improve maternal and child health outcomes. As one of the initial IUPUI
Signature Centers and later supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH)
funding, the goal of PREGMED is to develop personalized, therapeutic approaches
for pregnant women and children using analytic, genomic and computational
techniques.
PREGMED Fellowship
The PREGMED program sponsors a one-year, post-doctoral clinical research fellowship for those interested in maternal and child health research. This fellowship is co-directed by David Haas, MD and Sara Quinney, PhD, PharmD.
Program Goals
Many illnesses occurring in pregnancy can significantly impact the health of the mother and baby. Often, these conditions require drug therapy, but the clinical pharmacology and pharmacogenomics of most medications used during pregnancy and early childhood are poorly characterized, which can impact the effectiveness of treatment and increase risk of adverse events. PREGMED researchers are studying the ways different drugs affect fetuses and pregnant women as well as how the disposition of those drugs changes during pregnancy and lactation. The program is helping physicians provide more personalized strategies for treating a variety of conditions affecting pregnant women and their children.
Research Projects
Several studies are underway as part of the PREGMED Program, including the nuMoM2b cohort study and the follow-up nuMoM2b Heart Health Study, now funded by NHLBI, the Hoosier Moms Cohort (part of the IU Grand Challenges Precision Health Initiative looking at gestational diabetes), Pharmacokinetics and Modeling of Betamethasone, the Heartland Study and more. To learn more about participating in one of these studies, contact the OB-GYN research team.
The program also includes the Building Blocks of Pregnancy Biobank, which collects samples from pregnant women throughout pregnancy and at delivery to be used in a variety of research studies. For inquiries about obtaining some of these biological samples for your research, contact the biobank research team.
Program Leadership
PREGMED is directed by two faculty members with complementary expertise in maternal-child health and therapeutics. Sara Quinney, PhD, PharmD, is an associate professor with tenure in the Department of OB-GYN with expertise in therapeutics and modeling of drug response. David Haas, MD, MS, is the Munsick Professor of OB-GYN and an OB-GYN physician specializing in obstetric research methodology, clinical trials and Cochrane Reviews.
Clinical Trials
For more information about participating in clinical trials at IU School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, visit the All IN for Health website.