Kniss, Ghadiali secure March of Dimes Catalyst Innovation Grant

The March of Dimes has awarded $100,000 to advance preterm birth research led by Biomedical Engineering and Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor Douglas Kniss and Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Samir Ghadiali. 

The two-year March of Dimes Catalyst Innovation Grant will allow Kniss, Ghadiali, Laboratory of Perinatal Research's Dr. William Ackerman, and Case Western Reserve University's Sam Mesiano to investigate the body's biomedical responses to inflammatory stimuli.

Preterm birth accounts for 12.3% of all pregnancies in the U.S., and is responsible for the majority of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Premature remodeling and/or ripening of the uterine cervix is a frequent feature of preterm labor caused by inflammatory stimuli or microbial infection.

The team's project, titled “Cell mechanics models of cervical remodeling in preterm birth,” will study a model of cervix remodeling in response to inflammatory stimuli and the role of progesterone in treatment.

The March of Dimes is investing a total of $75 million over 10 years in prematurity research centers, including the Ohio Collaborative, which also receives funding from partnering institutions. Over $300,000 has been awarded to Ohio Collaborative projects over two years.