Awardees & Updates – 2011

Dr. Vesna Garovic, MD of Mayo Clinic, one of the nation’s leading medical institutions in cardiovascular disease, was selected for her work in developing a diagnostic test for early preeclampsia in pregnant women. Preeclampsia is a disorder during pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It is one of the leading causes of both maternal and fetal death in the United States. Preeclampsia is also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life. Improving screening, preventative and treatment strategies for preeclampsia will not only save lives for pregnant women, it may also have a long-term impact in reducing women’s cardiovascular disease risk years after pregnancy. Currently the only treatment for preeclampsia is early delivery which frequently leads to premature birth and high neonatal morbidity. This study, titled “Podocyturia as an Early Marker and Screening Test for Preeclampsia” will expand Dr. Garovic’s initial identification of a possible urine marker as a screening test for preeclampsia. This can lead to improved patient care, outcomes and reduce later risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Garovic has received several awards for her work including the “Department of Medicine Landmark Contribution to the Literature Award” and “Hong Kong Society of Cardiology Award for identifying preeclampsia as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life.”

Update

In 2013, FWW research awardee Dr. Vesna Garovic, MD published her findings about an indicator for diagnosing preeclampsia earlier in pregnant women to improve outcomes and later health concerns associated with this condition in the American Heart Association’s journal of Hypertension (the most prestigious journal in this field).