UB, Oishei Children’s Hospital Are Part of Major New Clinical Trial That Hopes to Make Lasting Impact In Treating Pregnancy-related Hypertension
The University at Buffalo is among three institutions selected for a major new clinical trial aimed at curbing hypertension and mental health issues in postpartum women, particularly those from marginalized populations.
From left: Thaddeus “Ted” Waters and Pamela Reed, both of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB, and Pauline Mendola from the School of Public Health and Health Professions. They are among the UB investigators on a clinical trial that will test two health care delivery models’ effectiveness in treating postpartum hypertension. ~ Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
The study will enroll 6,000 postpartum women from priority populations — mostly Black and Latinx women — in three medical centers: Yale New Haven Hospital, UMass Medical Center, and Kaleida Health’s John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. The project is being funded through an $18.8 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), with UB receiving $3.7 million. Study recruitment is underway.
The study will enroll 6,000 postpartum women from priority populations — mostly Black and Latinx women — in three medical centers: Yale New Haven Hospital, UMass Medical Center, and Kaleida Health’s John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital. The project is being funded through an $18.8 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), with UB receiving $3.7 million. Study recruitment is underway.
“Women who have hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are at higher risk throughout their lives for adverse cardiovascular outcomes,” said Vanessa Barnabei, MD, PhD, professor emerita in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, who played a critical role in securing the funding for UB before retiring.
The adverse health impacts have a more profound effect for Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Latinx women due to social determinants of health.
“Maternal health is one of the most important health priorities for the African American community. Hypertension as well as the social determinants of health have created unacceptable birth outcomes in the community,” said George F. Nicholas, pastor of Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church in Buffalo and convener of the African American Health Equity Task Force, a partner on the research project.
“This grant will enable us to obtain important information on how to improve birth outcomes for women and children in the community,” Nicholas said.
“This study takes a patient-centered approach focusing on patient needs and preferences of care delivery with the hope of improving the physical health and mental well-being of women while also addressing health care inequities in our community,” said Pamela D. Reed, MD, senior research project director for the study.
“Funding for this type of work is so important if we are to decrease the inequities in our current health care delivery system,” Reed adds.
The UB investigators on the research project are:
Thaddeus Waters, MD , Amol S. Lele Clinical Professor and chief of maternal-fetal medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jacobs School. He is also medical director for the maternal-fetal medicine and regional perinatal program at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
Pauline Mendola, PhD , chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health in the School of Public Health and Health Professions.
Other UB collaborators include Michael J. LaMonte, PhD, research professor, and Lina Mu, PhD, MD, associate professor, both in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health; and Heather Link, MD, clinical assistant professor, and J’Leise Sosa, MD, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, from Kaleida Health.
The study is being led by the Yale School of Public Health