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Click on the (+) below for a short summary of each Investigators area of research interest and expertise:

OBGYN Researchers

  • Ahmed, Mahmoud S.

    MAhmedMahmoud S. Ahmed, PhD 
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    The goal of our research program is to make more of the current medications available for treatment of the pregnant patient. This goal is achieved by two major projects namely, clinical and translational. The clinical is to determine the pharmacokinetics of the medication during pregnancy. The translational is to understand the role of human placenta in regulating fetal exposure to the medication throughout gestation.   Research
  • Berenson, Abbey
    BioABerenson2

    Abbey Berenson MD, PhD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research has focused over the past 25 years on a variety of issues related to women’s health across the lifespan. Currently, we are focusing on issues related to cancer prevention and family planning.  Research
  • Clark, Shannon
    Clark

    Shannon M. Clark MD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    I am the primary investigator for The Obstetric-Fetal Pharmacology Research Center (OPRC) Network, sponsored by the NICHD and focuses on pharmacologic outcomes in pregnant women. I am interested in maternal disease, fetal abnormalities and pharmacology in pregnancy.   Research
  • Guillot-Wright, Shannon
    Guillot-Wright

    SHANNON Guillot-Wright PhD
    Assistant Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research focuses on adolescent health and interpersonal relationships, with a particular emphasis on adolescent relationship abuse.  
    Research
  • Guo, Fangjian

    Fangjian Guo MD, PhD
    Assistant Professor

    RESEARCH
  • Hirth, Jacqueline
    BioABerenson2

    Jacqueline M. Hirth PhD
    Assistant Professor

    RESEARCH
  • Menon, Ramkumar
    menon

    Ramkumar Menon, PhD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Various projects in my lab are designed to understand the pathobiology of preterm birth. We study mechanism of fetal tissue aging, feto-maternal cell signaling using state of the art organ-on-chip technology and intercellular communication by extracellular vesicles (EVs). We are also conducting preclinical trials to reduce preterm birth risk using drugs delivered using EVs.  Research
  • Nanovskaya, Tatiana
    T_Nanovskaya

    Tatiana Nanovskaya PhD
    Associate Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our goals for the investigation is to examine preliminary safety and efficacy of bupropion sustained release (SR) to help pregnant women stop smoking. We are determining whether bupropion SR reduces cigarette craving and withdrawal symptoms during pregnancy. This research is necessary for development of medications to treat pregnant smokers. Research
  • Olson, Gayle
    Olson

    Gayle Olson MD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pacheco, Luis D.

    Luis D. Pacheco Md
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology



    CLINICAL | RESEARCH
  • Patel, Pooja

    pooja patel Md
    assistant Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    CLINICAL  | RESEARCH
  • Rodriguez, Ana M.
    Rodriquez

    Ana M. Rodriguez MD, MPH
    Associate Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Dr. Rodriguez is a physician-scientist and public health practitioner focusing on treating women with Human papillomavirus (HPV) related pre-cancerous lesions and supporting public health interventions for increasing HPV vaccination among minority and low-income populations located along the Texas-Mexico border in the United States. To improve access to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination in this area, she has been awarded multiple grants from state agencies and local nonprofit organizations.   Research
  • Rytting, Erik
    Dr Rytting

    Erik Rytting PhD
    Associate Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research seeks to improve therapeutic options when medication must be administered during pregnancy.  This includes understanding drug transfer across the placenta, pharmacokinetic studies to predict appropriate doses, and the development of nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery.  Research
  • Saad, Tony
    Saad

    Tony Saad Md
    Associate professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Saade, George
    Saade

    George Saade, MD PhD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research focus is on how pregnancy affects long-term health for the mother and the child. I am also involved in multi-center clinical trials that test various interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes.   Research
  • Temple, Jeff
    Temple

    Jeffrey Temple PhD
    Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research focuses on adolescent health and interpersonal relationships, with a particular emphasis on adolescent relationship abuse. He is the PI on Dating It Safe, which is one of the longest-running studies to explicitly investigate the development and risk and protective factors of teen dating violence. Using data from his ongoing study, Dr. Temple is also developing, adapting, and testing school-based healthy relationship curriculum.   Research
  • Vincent, Kathleen
    Vincent

    Kathleen Vincent, MD
    Associate Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research focuses on application of biomedical engineering technologies to women’s health research.  I utilize imaging from the cellular level to whole body imaging for the study of maternal-fetal health, obesity, benign gynecologic disorders, bacterial vaginosis, and vaginal drug delivery.  Additionally, I collaborate with women’s health researchers to bring novel technologies into their field of research.   Research
  • Wang, Xiao-Ming
    Dr Wang

    Xiao-ming wang PhD, MS
    Assistant Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research seeks to improve therapeutic options when medication must be administered during pregnancy. This includes understanding drug transfer across the placenta, pharmacokinetic studies to predict appropriate doses, and the development of nanomedicine for targeted drug delivery.  Research
  • Wood, Leila
    Wood

    Leila Wood PhD 
    Assistant Professor
    Obstetrics and Gynecology

    Our research focuses on adolescent health and interpersonal relationships, with a particular emphasis on adolescent relationship abuse.
    RESEARCH

Research

Our faculty’s participation in clinical, basic, and translational science research provides our patients access to the most current and effective evidence-based diagnostics and treatments.  On average, the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology holds more than 70 research grant awards each year. In addition, we are also involved in over 70 research grant applications each year. 

The department has earned spots in 2 current national collaborative research networks, the Obstetric-Fetal Pharmacology Research Center (OPRC) Network and the Multicenter Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU). Our Maternal-Fetal Pharmacology and Bio development Laboratories are perhaps unequaled in their range of specialties for investigating the interaction between therapeutic drugs and pregnancy. Of particular note, UTMB is home to three University Centers: The Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health, a university-wide organization funded by the National Institutes of Health to promote, stimulate, and support interdisciplinary research related to women’s health across the life span. The Obstetric-fetal Pharmacology Research Center, funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to support specialized research to improve the safety and efficacy of medication use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The most recent addition is the Center for Violence Prevention, which was established to improve the health and well-being of individuals, couples, families, communities, and societies through the prevention of violence.

Research Faculty

The research faculty in our department do incredible work regarding generating new knowledge and practice, and how that research impacts healthcare around the world. We continue to be at the forefront of innovative breakthroughs in healthcare and, despite drastic budget cuts in the past several years at the federal agency level. We continue to be at the top of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding lists for Obstetric and Gynecology departments around the country. In addition to the NIH, our investigators are funded by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, and numerous industry and foundation partners.