The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Wayne State University School of Medicine a 10-year, multi-million dollar contract to house and support an intramural branch of NIH to conduct studies into maternal and infant health and disease.

The Perinatology Research Branch (PRB), part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, is one of only a few NIH intramural branches located outside of its main campus in Maryland. This represents a unique partnership between the NIH and an academic medical center. The contract, with a potential estimated value of $125 million over its duration, is expected to have profound and far-reaching social and economic impact in Detroit and the surrounding community.

"We are honored to have been selected to receive the contract," said Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid. "As a nationally ranked urban research university, Wayne State is uniquely positioned to commit our proven standards of excellence to this critical project. This is an opportunity that not only enables us to continue our leadership role in providing innovative health care, but also is of tremendous potential benefit to both the citizens and the economy of metropolitan Detroit."

The PRB will be located at the WSU Mott Center for Human Growth and Development. Clinical services for the branch will be conducted at Hutzel Women's Hospital in the Detroit Medical Center, where the WSU/DMC obstetrics and gynecology service is centered. The announcement affirms the excellence of the WSU/DMC department of obstetrics and gynecology, which is currently ranked sixth in the nation for NIH-funded research.

"This contract underscores both the importance of our work in the area of maternal-fetal medicine as well as the strength of our program," said John Crissman, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. "Our faculty is uniquely qualified to contribute to the success of national research programs that will ultimately improve the health of women and infants across the country. Establishing the PRB here will help to ensure that we continue to recruit and retain the finest faculty physicians, who will be able to offer a superior level of care within the Detroit community."

The PRB was created to address the causes of high infant mortality in the United States, with a particular emphasis on premature birth and congenital anomalies. It will establish a multidisciplinary program combining the expertise of clinical and basic science to improve the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders responsible for infant mortality. Although the center is dedicated to clinical research, the ultimate goal is to improve pregnancy outcomes, especially for underserved, high-risk populations.

Dr. Roberto Romero has been chief of the PRB since 1992 and will continue to direct the branch's activities. Dr. Romero is an obstetrician and gynecologist with a sub-specialty in maternal-fetal medicine. He spent 16 years at Yale University, completing his training and then serving as a member of the faculty and director of perinatal research. Dr. Romero is widely regarded as one of the most prominent intellectual leaders in modern obstetrics.

The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, part of the NIH, sought competitive proposals to establish a permanent site for the PRB in 2000. The new contract designates WSU/DMC as the branch's long-term site and significantly increases support for its activities.

"With this new contract, Detroit-area residents continue to be able to access world-class, leading-edge care," noted Detroit Medical Center President Arthur Porter, MD. "The continuation and acceleration of PRB activities ensures that Hutzel Women's Hospital remains the area's premier hospital for women's health and obstetrical care."

Thanks in part to the advantages made available by the presence of the PRB, Hutzel Women's Hospital has continuously achieved higher levels of favorable outcomes for births than the majority of hospitals, despite its disproportional high number of high-risk pregnancies. These healthy outcomes resulted in an estimated $4.1 million savings to the State of Michigan Medicaid Program that funds prenatal and obstetrical care for uninsured mothers. Demonstrating its continued commitment to women's and infant's health, the hospital is slated to move into a new, $38 million facility in the Detroit Medical Center in November.

Significantly, the State of Michigan will provide $3 million to renovate laboratories in the WSU Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, and the university has matched that commitment.

Reid pointed out that Wayne State benefited during the contract renewal process from the keen interest and efforts of Gov. John Engler, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. "This is a noteworthy example of cooperation among local, state and federal government to ensure that Detroit and Michigan continue to play a leading role in critically important perinatal research," he said. "Wayne State University is proud to be in the vanguard of this effort."

"Selection of WSU as the permanent site for the PRB demonstrates recognition that the university can bring together the vast resources necessary for this important endeavor," noted WSU Vice President for Research George Dambach, PhD. "WSU's partnership in Michigan's Life Sciences Corridor, the bi-partisan support from local and state government, as well as our own history and expertise are indicators that WSU is in an excellent position to succeed in this essential initiative to improve pregnancy outcomes."

With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation's largest medical schools. Together with its clinical partner the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas, including cancer, genetics, the neurosciences and women's and children's health.