Obstetrics & Gynecology Research
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Championing Research & Collaboration

We’re advancing knowledge, providing evidence-based solutions and training the next generation of researchers and physician-scientists.

world-class programs in research

The U-M Medical School Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is renowned for its research excellence and, under the direction of Vanessa K. Dalton, MD, MPH, Associate Chair for Research, has grown to include a broad portfolio of diverse, world-class multidisciplinary research programs.

Our research is purposefully directed toward areas that will foster the rapid transformation of women’s health and improve the lives of the people and families we care for locally and beyond. Our faculty conduct a range of research, including bench science, translational research, health services research, and clinical trials, focused on the optimization of maternal outcomes, health equity in women’s healthcare and outcomes, women’s health across the lifespan, medical education, and global health.

Our research team provides a variety of faculty support, including assistance with finding funding, proposal development, regulatory assistance, data management, data analytics, compliance, education, mentorship, and dissemination of research discoveries.

We are committed to conducting innovative, cutting-edge research that advances knowledge and provides evidence-based solutions, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and educating the next generation of academic researchers and physician-scientists.

Key Research Areas
Program on Women's Healthcare Effectiveness Research (PWHER)

PWHER is committed to improving the quality, access, and affordability of healthcare services for individuals at community, national, and global levels using diverse research methods to address pressing policies and clinical questions.

Pelvic Floor Research Group (PFRG)

PFRG is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary research group working to improve the understanding and treatment of pelvic floor disorders. PFRG’s goal is to identify risk factors for developing pelvic floor disorders, work with high-risk women to prevent them, and provide the most effective and newest treatments for pelvic floor dysfunction.

Program for Research and Innovation in Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes (PRIMO)

PRIMO is a collaborative obstetric research group focused on closing critical knowledge gaps, improving the safety of modern obstetric care, and translating this knowledge onto national platforms.

Women’s Health and Reproductive Disparities Collaborative (OnWHARD)

The OnWHARD Collaborative is dedicated to advancing reproductive health through meaningful research, empowering education, and committed advocacy.

Pain Research Program

The Department of OBGYN’s pain research program includes independently funded investigators from the University of Michigan in partnership with external investigators, focused on gynecology pain across the life course.

OBGYN Department Research Day

The Annual Department Research Day brings together our talented faculty, staff, and learners for a day of learning, collaboration, and community-building. We hope to see you at the second annual Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Day on June 5, 2024!

Learn more about OBGYN's Research Day
Featured News & Stories See all news Text reading "20+ Top-Ranked Residency Programs" next to an image of Michigan Medicine buildings
News Release
U-M has 14 top 10 medical education programs in latest Doximity Residency Navigator
The 2024-25 Doximity Residency Navigator has been released. It shows that U-M has six top 5 medical education programs, with nine more in the top 10 and another nine in the top 25.
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Health Lab
Who feels ready for residency?
Helen Morgan, M.D., of Michigan Medicine, authored a study that surveyed obstetric and gynecology residents to determine who feels prepared for the transition from medical school to residency.
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News Release
U-M Health ranked among nation’s best in more specialties than any other Michigan hospital by U.S. News & World Report
University of Michigan Health ranks among the nation’s best hospitals in more specialties than any other Michigan hospital, according to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals Rankings for 2024-2025.
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Health Lab
Maternal suicide study provides insights into complicating factors for perinatal deaths
Suicide during pregnancy and in the months after having a baby is more likely among women who have had other mental and physical health problems, intimate partner issues or recent bereavement.
Department News
Michigan Medicine receives $7.8M federal grant to study fibroid disparities
A $7.8 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health will fund a joint research effort by researchers from the three institutions called Partnering for Equity: An Academic and Community Alliance to Eliminate Disparities throughout the Fibroid Experience, or PEACE.
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Health Lab Podcast
New research launched to address health disparities in abnormal menstrual bleeding and anemia
A $5.6 million grant helps launch research to improve screening and treatment for a gynecologic disorder disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic populations.