DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - Jul 16, 2015) - In the second year of awarding research grants as part of its mission, the Fetal Health Foundation recently announced the 2015 recipients. Dr. Rony Marwan's team with the University of Colorado School of Medicine received the Nathanael and Gabriel Stowell Research Grant and Dr. Jena Miller's team with Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy was awarded the Brianna Marie Memorial Research Grant. Both teams will receive $25,000.
"Our lab is delighted to hear we have been selected as a winner, as these funds will help us pursue our goal of understudying the etiology of Neural Tube Defects and developing an innovative alternative to open fetal repair using bioengineering approaches in a minimally invasive fashion," said Marwan, principal investigator and assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics. "Ultimately, our hope is to overcome this devastating birth defect and spare its monumental emotional toll."
Both grant recipients will be further studying treatment related to spina bifida. Marwan's team will focus its research on the development of a reverse thermal gel for in-utero coverage of spina bifida defects. Miller's team will concentrate on the development of a 3D print model of fetal spina bifida derived from ultrasound imaging.
Miller, principal investigator and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy, said "Our team is honored and grateful to be chosen as a recipient. We plan to incorporate 3D printing technology into fetal therapy with the ultimate goal of improving prenatal intervention on a patient-specific level for fetal conditions."
The Fetal Health Foundation is a national nonprofit leading the way in supporting families and medical treatment centers dealing with intrauterine fetal syndromes through information, counseling and research grants. To learn more about the Foundation and its work, visit www.fetalhealthfoundation.org or contact Talitha McGuinness at talitha@fetalhealthfoundation.org or 980-721-5799.
