New Preeclampsia Research Funded to Investigate Genetic Targets to Develop Potential Therapeutics

MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Preeclampsia Foundation announced today the recipients of its 2025 Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants. Based on the recommendations of its Scientific Advisory Council, the Preeclampsia Foundation awarded two grants totaling $99,997 USD each to Dr. Zsuzsanna K. Zsengellér and Virginia D. Winn, MD, PhD.

Dr. Zsuzsanna K. Zsengellér is an Assistant Professor in Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally, she is a graduate from the Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical University (Hungary) with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in medical sciences. Her main interest is to utilize targeted therapies for preeclampsia, including antioxidants, nitric oxide, and hydrogen sulfide donors.

Dr. Zsengellér's research project, "Novel small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of preeclampsia", will focus on developing hydrazone-based antioxidants to mitigate oxidative stress which is one of the major components in preeclampsia pathogenesis. This is a collaborative study with the Török Lab at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Chemistry Department.

Virginia D. Winn MD, PhD is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Reproductive, Stem Cell and Perinatal Biology at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. Dr. Winn is a physician-scientist, board certified in maternal-fetal medicine with a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Rochester, New York. She is a leading expert in human placental development and preeclampsia pathogenesis. She leads a basic and translational research program with the mission of improving maternal and child health, while training the next generation of perinatal researchers.

Dr. Winn's research project, "Harnessing Paired Maternal-Child iPSCs to Model PE," will focus on using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from mother-child pairs who experienced a PE pregnancy and comparing them to those from normal pregnancies to understand more about diverse subtypes of preeclampsia.

Named for the infant son of preeclampsia survivor Lauren Pappas and her husband Clement, the Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants program award grants totaling up to $200,000 each year. The ultimate goal of the program is to drive research that will eliminate the delivery of pre-term babies as an intervention for severe preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

"We lost our son Peter due to preeclampsia following a 29-week delivery in 2015," explained Lauren Pappas. "Since then, we have dedicated our lives to helping others avoid the same outcome by establishing the Peter Joseph Pappas Fund."

"Thanks to generous contributions from family and friends, and our partnership with the Preeclampsia Foundation, we are making strides to reach our ultimate goal of eliminating pre-term births due to preeclampsia by 2050," added Clement Pappas.

The Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants program adds to the Preeclampsia Foundation's portfolio of research programs including the Vision Grant program for young investigators, PRIME for health services research, and EMPOWER, which helps build research capacity in low- and middle-income countries.

Questions about Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants program? Email [email protected].

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.

About the Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grant Program
Clement and Lauren Pappas of Philadelphia, PA, lost their firstborn child, Peter Joseph, after HELLP syndrome necessitated his early delivery. Their son, born at 29 weeks' gestation, spent a week in the neonatal intensive care unit before dying from a central line infection. The Pappas family, along with friends and family, have established this special fund with the Preeclampsia Foundation to advance research, with the overarching goal of eliminating pre-term births due to preeclampsia by 2050.

Contact: Laney Poye
Director of Communications and Engagement
321.421.6957
[email protected]

SOURCE Preeclampsia Foundation