Notable

Donald S. Torry, professor of medical microbiology, immunology and cell biology and of obstetrics and gynecology, at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, has been awarded a five-year federal grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study preeclampsia, one of the leading obstetric complications.  Total budget for the grant is $1,112,650.

In some pregnancies, the mother's blood supply to the placenta is deficient so babies in the womb do not get enough oxygen or nutrients and may not grow properly.  The study aims to determine how to increase expression of genes needed for blood vessel formation in the uterus in order to potentially lessen the severity of preeclampsia and allow more time for the pregnancy to continue.

Torry's research has been funded for ten years by NICHD and now totals $2 million.  His research has focused on placenta growth factor and preeclampsia.

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