March of Dimes Current Investment in
Research and Service in Pennsylvania
2005 Research Grants*
The March of Dimes funds several different types of research, all aimed at preventing birth defects,
prematurity, and infant mortality. These programs include basic research into life processes; clinical
research that relates to health and disease as it applies to prevention and treatment of specific birth defects;
the study of environmental hazards; and research in social and behavioral science relevant to our mission.
*Below is a list of grants active in 2005 that include awards distributed over two and three-year grant cycles.
Grantee
Funded Project
Amount
The Wistar Institute
Kazuko Nishikura, PhD ***
Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics
Date: 6/1/2002-5/31/2005
To study how a family of genes (ADAR) apparently
edits genetic messages (RNA) during embryonic
development, resulting in production of new proteins
crucial for normal red blood cells development.
Goal: Develop new treatments for certain
congenital anemias.
$191,285
The Wistar Institute
Jumin Zhou, PhD ***
Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics
Date: 6/1/2003-5/31/2005
To study the operation of a recently discovered, short
stretch of DNA called the Promoter Targeting
Sequence, which helps regulate activity of a master
gene that orchestrates development of the rear half of
the body of the fruitfly, and that has a counterpart in
humans.
Goal: Clarify a previously unknown mechanism
that may regulate other master genes and thus
play pivotal roles in embryonic body formation.
To explore functions of a fruit fly protein called YinYang-1, which may help regulate activity of certain
master genes that direct aspects of embryonic and
later development, including that of the nervous
system.
Goal: Learn whether its mammalian counterpart
is of similarly central importance, so that genetic
or environmental interference with it may
account for birth defects of as yet unknown
origin.
To identify genes that regulate the activities of Sonic
hedgehog (Shh), a gene that is crucial for normal
brain development. Abnormal Shh function can cause
holoprosencephaly, a complete or partial failure of
the brain to separate into hemispheres, with effects
that can include profound mental retardation, severe
facial defects and death at any point from embryonic
to postnatal periods of development. Goal: Improve
understanding of the causes of
holoprosencephaly, which affects 1 in 250
embryos, as a basis for learning to prevent it.
$191,400
To identify genetic variations that help to account for
the two- to three-fold higher rate of preterm delivery
among African Americans, and for the fact that some
preterm infants suffer more severe consequences of
prematurity than others.
Goal: key genetic elements may lead to targets
for intervention to prevent preterm delivery or
some of the harm that it does.
$482,220
University of Pennsylvania
School Veterinary Medicine
Michael L. Atchison, PhD***
Professor of Biochemistry
Department of Animal Biology
Date: 6/1/2002-5/31/2005
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Genetics
Douglas J. Epstein, PhD
Assistant Professor
Date: 6/1/2005-5/31/2008
University of Pennsylvania
Center for Research on Reproduction and
Women's Health
Jerome F. Strauss, III, MD, PhD
Professor and Director
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Date: 3/1/2005-8/31/2005
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
$194,659
$283,848
Grantee
Funded Project
Amount
University of Pennsylvania
Meera Sundaram, PhD***
Assistant Professor
Department of Genetics
Date: 6/1/2003-5/31/2006
To add to knowledge of basic mechanisms that
determines when cells of an embryo switch from
multiplying rapidly to taking specialized forms.
Goal: Understand origins of birth defects
involving overgrowth or undergrowth of tissues
and organs, as a step toward preventing or
correcting them.
$150,000
University of Pennsylvania
Department of Anesthesia
Huafeng Wei, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Date: 6/1/2005-5/31/2008
To compare two anesthetics used during open fetal
surgery and their potential to cause brain damage
(death of brain neurons) and subsequent long-term
learning and cognitive disability in the neonate.
Anesthesia is required for the mother and often for
the fetus to perform fetal surgery. Safety is the prime
concern for both mother and fetus, as well as
preventing preterm birth. Goal: Reduce birth
defects caused by certain anesthetics used for
fetal surgery and identify safer alternatives.
$262,334
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Gerard L. Campbell, PhD***
Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Date: 6/1/2002-5/31/2006
To elucidate genetically controlled events in
formation of the limbs, involving secreted signaling
molecules and their receptors on the surfaces of cells.
Goal: Understanding embryonic limb
development as a step toward prevention or
correction of limb malformations.
$178,640
University of Pittsburgh
William S. Saunders, PhD***
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Date: 6/1/2003-5/31/2006
To identify genes controlling steps in the process in
which chromosomes pair off and then separate as
reproductive cells mature, and learn what those genes
do.
Goal: Prevent chromosome numerical errors such
as those causing Down syndrome.
$225,000
University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine
Nathan Bahary, MD, PhD**
Assistant Professor
Department of Molecular Genetics and
Biochemistry
Date: 6/1/2004-5/31/2007
To identify genes that help regulate normal
development of the gastrointestinal (GI) system.
Many common birth defects affect the GI system
(such as short-gut syndrome, esophageal atresia,
pyloric stenosis, and anal and biliary atresia) and their
causes are poorly understood. Goal: Improve
understanding of the causes of GI birth defects,
some of which can greatly impact health or be
fatal, as a basis for prevention and treatment.
$256,668
Total
**Second Year Continuation
***Third Year Continuation
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
$2,416,054
Pennsylvania Chapter
2006 Community Grants and Awards
Below is a list of service grants active in 2006
Organization
Area Served
Abington Memorial Hospital
Montgomery County
Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny County
Alpha Phi Alpha
Philadelphia, Delaware,
Montgomery & Chester
Statewide
American Academy of
Pediatrics
Booker T. Washington Center
Erie County
Central Greene School District
Child, Home & Community
Greene County
Montgomery County
Children’s Home of Pittsburgh
Allegheny,
Westmoreland Butler
and Fayette
Congreso de Latinos Unidos,
Inc
Drexel University (11th St.
Health Serv.)
DuBois Medical Center
Philadelphia
Ephrata Community Hospital
Lancaster and Berks
Epsilon Omega Zeta ChapterZeta Phi Beta
Chester County
Erie Home for Children and
Adults
Erie, Crawford, and
Venango counties
Family Health Council of
Central PA
Columbia, Montour,
Snyder, Union, Mifflin,
Northumberland,
Juniata, Lebanon,
Cumberland, Perry, and
Somerset
40 Counties Central PA
Geisinger Health System
Foundation
Hamot Medical Center
Philadelphia
Clearfield, Jefferson,
Erie, Indiana, Clarion,
McKean, Venango,
Centre & Potter
Erie County
Hamot Medical Center
Erie County
Hamot Medical Center
Erie and Clearfield
Health Federation of
Philadelphia
Home Nursing Agency
Community Services
Home Nursing Agency
Community Services
Philadelphia
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
Blair County
Centre County
Funded Project
Education for women on
bed rest
Smoking cessation
education for pregnant
women
Teen education on STD’s,
HIV/AIDS and pregnancy
Increase tobacco cessation
among pregnant women
Smoking cessation program
for Hispanic women
Teen Parent program
Bilingual Prenatal
Education Programs
Education on prematurity,
birth defects, and
bereavement support for
families served at Children’s
Home
Bilingual Prenatal Substance
Abuse Risk Reduction
Group Prenatal Care
Program
Continuing education for
NICU nurses
Education on premature
birth and perinatal loss for
families
Prenatal educational
brochures
Increase education for
mothers in Stork’s Nest
Program
Provide preventive and
doula services for at-risk
moms
Prenatal education materials
Piloting of a Center for
Prenatal Pediatrics
Education on perinatal loss
for families
Continuing education
Library for nursing staff
Nursing educational
programs
Prenatal education for
metro health clinics
Transportation assistance
for prenatal appointments
Transportation assistance
for prenatal appointments
Amount
$3000
$730
$597
$12,000
$500
$630
$12,000
$1,000
$25,000
$25,000
$978
$250
$426
$23,874
$1,000
$25,000
$1,000
$900
$75
$1,000
$875
$875
Organization
Area Served
Lancaster General Hospital
Lancaster County
Lancaster General Hospital
Lancaster County
Magee-Womens Hospital
Greater Pittsburgh
Magee-Womens Hospital
Greater Allegheny
Maternal & Child Health
Consortium
Maternal & Family Health
Services, Inc
Maternal & Family Health
Services, Inc
Maternity Care Coalition
Chester County
Montgomery County
Foundation
Montgomery County Health
Department
Mercy Behavioral Health
Montgomery County
Pittsburgh Mercy Health
System
Pottsville Hospital and Warne
Clinic
Pocono Medical Center
Greater Pittsburgh
Potter County Human Services
Potter County
Scranton Primary Health Care
Center
Society of Teachers for Family
Medicine
Greater Lackawanna
South Central Community
Action Programs
Susquenita Middle School
Adams County
Center for Bioethics
5 counties of SEPA
Urban League of Pittsburgh
Allegheny County
Washington Hospital
West Penn Hospital
Washington, Greene
and Southern
Allegheny
Allegheny County
York Hospital Community
Health Center
York and Adams
counties
Total
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
Lackawanna, Luzerne,
Wyoming, and Wayne
10 Counties Central PA
Philadelphia
Montgomery County
Greater Pittsburgh
Schuylkill County
Monroe, Pike, Warren,
and Northampton
Statewide
Perry County
Funded Project
Amount
Preconception education
after poor birth outcome
Educational materials for
Stork’s Nest program
Increase access to and
compliance with prenatal
care
Continuing education
library for nurses
Comenzando bien program
$20,000
Prenatal education for atrisk and low income women
Group Prenatal Care
Program
Prenatal Education for
Pregnant Incarcerated
Women
Diabetes education for
pregnant women
Cribs for Kids program
$498
$750
$24,877
$900
$12,000
$9,980
$3,000
$6,000
$700
Tobacco cessation program
for pregnant women
Expanded prenatal care
program
Patient education for
birthing center
Piloting group prenatal
education program and
gestational diabetes
education program
Transportation to prenatal
& genetics appointments
Educational materials on
prenatal care
Piloting preconception
education program for
practitioners
Prenatal education materials
for pregnant women
Teen health education on
sexually transmitted
diseases
Perinatal and neonatal
ethics education for RNs
and MSWs
Prenatal materials for
Parenting and Life Skills
programs
Educational modules for
lending library for RNs
$24,961
Educational materials for
child birth education classes
Prenatal education materials
for child birth education
classes
$500
$25,000
$431
$2,000
$10,000
$826
$1,000
$694
$50
$1,000
$500
$850
$750
$283,977
2005 Basil O’Connor Research Grant
In 1973, the March of Dimes created the Basil O'Connor research program named for our first
chairman and president to encourage some of the nation's most promising young scientist commit
to careers in birth defects research. About 1500 young researchers have received the awards since
then and the greater majority of them have continued in research on birth defects.
Grantee
Funded Project
Amount
Pennsylvania State University
College of Medicine
Timothy M. Ritty, PhD**
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Date: 9/1/2004-1/31/2006
To investigate the role of a gene (fibrillin 2) in tendon
development, and how mutations in this gene may cause
tendon abnormalities and congenital contractures,
whichContinuation)
(Second-Year
affect up to one in 3,300 births, limiting flexion of joints.
Goal: Improve treatment for children with congenital
contractures, including those with congenital
contractural arachnodactyly, a genetic disorder that
results from a mutation in this gene.
$128,006
University of Pennsylvania
Sallie Tazuke**
Assistant Professor
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynocology
Date: 7/1/2003- 1/31/2006
To study the role of a large family of genes in development
of reproductive organs in the male and female.
Goal: Understand how abnormalities in these genes
may contribute to infertility, miscarriages and
chromosomal birth defects and ultimately develop
approaches to prevent and treat these reproductive
problems.
$150,000
University of Pennsylvania
Tracy L. Bale, PhD**
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
Department of Animal Biology School of
Veterinary Medicine
Date: 2/1/2004-1/31/2006
To identify genetic traits that confer high susceptibility to
stress, and determine whether those traits at various levels
of maternal stress in pregnancy are associated with
increased risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, birth
defects, development delays, or behavioral abnormalities.
Goal: Identify and treat pregnant women who are
especially susceptible to stress, to reduce the risk of
adverse outcomes in their babies.
$150,000
University of Pennsylvania School of
Medicine
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Jake A. Kushner, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Endocrinology
Date: 2/1/2005-1/31/2007
To determine the role of a cell-to-cell signaling pathway
(D-type cyclin/cdk) in regulating the replication and
growth of pancreatic islet cells after birth. Inadequate
growth of islet cells appears to contribute to type 2 (adultonset) diabetes and pregnancy-related (gestational)
diabetes, both of which can contribute to pregnancy
complications, including preterm delivery, and in the case
of type 2 diabetes, to spina bifida, heart defects and other
congenital malformations. Goal: Develop treatments to
prevent type 2 and gestational.
To identify genes that initiate and regulate the earliest
stages of kidney development for insight into molecular
mechanisms that could be used to regenerate kidney tissue
in individuals with serious kidney disease. Underdeveloped
or malformed kidneys occur with a number of inherited
diseases including Apert, DiGeorge, Meckel, and Von
Hippel-Lindau syndromes. Serious kidney disease can be
fatal, in spite of long-term treatments such as dialysis and
organ transplants.
Goal: Regenerate kidney tissue using tissue
engineering.
$150,000
University of Pittsburgh
School of Medicine
Neil A. Hukriede, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Molecular Genetics &
Biochemistry
Date: 2/1/2006-1/31/2008
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
$150,000
Grantee
Carnegie Mellon University
Brooke M. McCartney, PhD
Department of Biological Sciences
Date: 2/1/2005-1/31/2007
Funded Project
Amount
$150,000
To clarify functions of a gene (adenomatous polyposis coli
or APC) in a cell-to-cell signaling pathway (Wnt/Wg) that
takes part in many aspects of early embryonic
development, and learn how abnormalities in APC may
disrupt that pathway. The Wnt/Wg pathway helps guide
development of the normal embryonic body plan, as well
as formation of the limbs, heart and other organs, and
disruptions in Wnt/Wg may lead to birth defects in a
number of organ systems. Goal: Learn how APC
contributes to cellular abnormalities that can lead to
birth defects as well as inherited forms of colon
cancer.
Total
$878,006
March of Dimes Current Investment in Pennsylvania
Total National Research Grants
$2,416,054
Total Community Service Grants & Awards
$283,977
Total Basil O’Connor Research Grants
$878, 006
CDC/March of Dimes Collaboration
TOTAL MARCH OF DIMES GRANT DOLLARS
CURRENTLY AT WORK IN PENNSYLVANIA
TOTAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT ACTIVE IN 2005
IN U.S.
Includes PERI, PRI, National Research grants and Basil O’Conner research
grants across the country in 2005.
SEPA/Program/Grants National/2005 PA Grants
$9980
$3,588,017
$79.8 Million