Vaginal ecosystem links to preeclampsia
Official title: A large scale investigation of the vaginal ecosystem in preeclampsia
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11181585 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at early-pregnancy vaginal microbes, immune signals, and metabolites to find links to later preeclampsia in pregnant people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $692,222 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD114715-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181585 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people with early-pregnancy samples or those receiving care at sites that contributed to the nuMoM2b cohort, especially in the first or second trimester.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or who develop preeclampsia before early-pregnancy sampling (or who lack vaginal samples/clinical records) are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific project.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze vaginal swabs taken in early pregnancy from a large, well‑characterized national pregnancy cohort (nuMoM2b). They will profile the vaginal microbiome, measure metabolites, and examine local immune markers across multiple time points. Those biological data will be combined with detailed clinical records to see which vaginal features are linked with later severe preeclampsia. Advanced computational methods will be used to find microbial, metabolic, or immune patterns that precede or contribute to preeclampsia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early vaginal markers that help predict or prevent preeclampsia and guide future interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has linked the vaginal microbiome to some pregnancy complications, but applying multi-omics profiling specifically to preeclampsia is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Korem, Tal — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Korem, Tal
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.