# NICHD Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research: Research Units

> **NIH NIH UG1** · UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA · 2024 · $598,766

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Significance: Mothers and children in Bangladesh and other low-mid income countries suffer disproportionately
from maternal and infant malnutrition, neonatal mortality from diarrhea and respiratory infections, and maternal
mortality from childbirth, vaccine failure and impaired child development. The UVA-icddrb Research Unit (RU)
addresses critical needs of women and young children by bringing to the Network strengths in infectious
diseases, lactation, pharmacology, neurocognitive development, human genetics, maternal-fetal medicine,
immunology, vaccinology and CTSA coordination. The RU has access to nearly 8000 pregnant women
annually at our existing clinical trial sites, is highly attuned to ethical and cultural issues with local community
and ethical review boards, and leads Network studies of COVID-19 in pregnancy and maternal anemia.
Investigators: The RU Principal Investigator (PI) William Petri and Senior Foreign Investigator (SFI) Rashidul
Haque have for 30 years co-led multidisciplinary teams studying maternal-child health, with over 170 co-
publications and ten on-going or completed clinical studies in the last five years. They are joined at icddr,b and
UVA by a diverse and multidisciplinary core team of 19 accomplished investigators in maternal-child health.
Innovation: The RU conceptualized the multi-site study of COVID-19 infection during pregnancy that
demonstrated minimal impact on birth outcomes, is leading a study of the role of maternal anemia on low-birth
weight infants, has multi-site Network-approved protocols on maternal nutritional supplements and on
asymptomatic bacteriuria and has pioneered electronic data capture for the Network. Special capabilities
include infectious diseases, pharmacology, lactation, and novel clinical trial designs through the CTSA.
Approach: The RU has conducted 12 clinical trials since 2016 with 99% adherence to follow-up visits, and
access to 8000 pregnant women annually in existing clinical trial sites. Science to policy translation catalyzed
by the partnership of the icddr,b with the Government of Bangladesh, as evidenced by the worldwide
implementation of oral rehydration solution, discovered at icddr,b and adoption nationwide, and the Matlab
model of community -based care.
Environment: The RU has unparalleled multidisciplinary strength, laboratory facilities and access to urban
and rural populations of mothers and children. The icddr,b is one of the foremost global health institutes in
the developing world with over 200 active clinical trials/protocols. The UVa Division of Infectious Diseases
and International Health has a unique focus on Global Health, with over $16 million in annual grant support and
over two dozen active clinical protocols. UVa-icddrb unique and complementary expertise will continue to bring
unparalleled strengths to the Network’s goal of making sustainable improvements in maternal and child health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10904953
- **Project number:** 5UG1HD096730-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- **Principal Investigator:** William A Petri
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $598,766
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-08-10 → 2030-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10904953

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10904953, NICHD Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research: Research Units (5UG1HD096730-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10904953. Licensed CC0.

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