# Boston University/Lata Medical Research Foundation Global Network for Women's Children's Health Research Unit

> **NIH NIH UG1** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2024 · $606,400

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Although there have been improvements in the under age five mortality rate (U5MR) and neonatal mortality
rate (NMR) in Indian children, the burden of death in this population is still one live births to deaths. To achieve
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for the U5MR and NMR rate, there is still an urgent need
for improvement in pre-pregnancy through childhood care in India and globally. The overarching goal of
Boston University (BU) and Lata Medical Research Foundation's (LMRF) Global Network (GN) for Women's
and Children's Health Research Unit (RU) is to continue to collaborate with other GN RUs on research to
improve health outcomes for women and children in low- and lower middle-income countries (LMIC). We have
had a GN RU in Nagpur, India continuously since 2008. Our RU is in the eastern part of the State of
Maharashtra (center of India) where NMR and infant mortality rates are higher than the overall rates in the
state and many other parts of India. Our RU involves a partnership between multiple Schools and Departments
(particularly Global Health, Obstetrics, Pediatrics, and Infectious Diseases) at Boston University and the
academic medical institutional consortium led by the LMRF in Nagpur, that provides clinical, research expertise
and infrastructure support. Since 2008, our RU has been successfully implementing studies, by patient and
public involvement and engagement strategy, that exemplify Global Network's goals to conduct high-impact
clinical trials and observational studies of sustainable, cost-effective health interventions and their
implementation in women and children in LMICs, and building sustainable professional capacity and
infrastructure for infectious diseases (maternal and pediatric), obstetric, neonatal and pediatric research. In the
current cycle of the GN, we have participated in all common protocols, and have maintained high recruitment
and retention rates. We have led 5 research initiatives, including developing a new socioeconomic status
index, and studying the risk of maternal, fetal and neonatal adverse outcomes associated with exposure to
household air pollution, Caesarian Section delivery and Maternal Depression. We have also had a leadership
role in the Azithromycin trial sub-study on risk of acquiring Azithromycin resistance using novel microbiome,
metagenomics and whole genome sequencing approaches, which required helping develop lab capacity in
several GN sites. We have jointly and successfully mentored 20 junior faculty, fellows and students who have
led site specific and GN wide publications. continue growth and development of the Nagpur RU, advance the
research network in the region, and sustain the research infrastructure for the design and conduct of public
health research in the Nagpur academic institutions; strengthen research focused on the leading causes of
morbidity and mortality in pregnancy and early childhood in the GN and in the Nagpur area by public and
patient e...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10897217
- **Project number:** 5UG1HD078439-13
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Patricia L Hibberd
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $606,400
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2013-06-03 → 2030-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10897217

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10897217, Boston University/Lata Medical Research Foundation Global Network for Women's Children's Health Research Unit (5UG1HD078439-13). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10897217. Licensed CC0.

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