Pelvic Floor Research Group
The Pelvic Floor Research Group (PFRG) is an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary research group working to improve the understanding and treatment of pelvic floor disorders. Our 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.
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Innovation through Collaboration
30 Years of Research Excellence
PFRG has been an international leader in pelvic floor research for over three decades. Our award-winning research focuses on pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence, birth injury, and fecal incontinence.
The Pelvic Floor Research Group publishes groundbreaking research discoveries in high-impact journals featuring collaborations with colleagues in biomechanical engineering, nursing, urology, and other gynecologic specialties.
Discover the latest research—click on the investigator names below to explore their recent publications!
Pelvic Floor Research Day
Our Annual Pelvic Floor Research Day brings together interdisciplinary experts from across the University and beyond to discuss current and future pioneering research.
Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship
Learn more about the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology fellowship in Urogynecology & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery.
Discover More About Our Research Group
The PFRG team consists of an interdisciplinary set of investigators from the School of Medicine, Engineering, Nursing, Public Health, Institute for Research on Women and Gender, Institute for Social Research, and Institute for Gerontology.
The Pelvic Floor Research Group is led by a team of researchers with diverse expertise, including gynecologists, urologists, colorectal surgeons, biomechanical engineers, nurse researchers, nurse midwives, social scientists, cell biologists, epidemiologists, anatomists, anthropologists, and statisticians who are dedicated to improving the prevention and treatment of women's pelvic floor disorders.
Our strategy has been to use the multifaceted approaches from these many disciplines to see fresh approaches to long-standing problems, and to design hypothesis-driven research to answer questions of direct importance to improving prevention and treatment.
Our group has led the transformation of Urogynecology from an empirical to a scientific approach.
Leadership
John O DeLancey, MD
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professor of Urology
Medical School
Janis M Miller
Research Professor Emerita, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School
James A. Ashton-Miller, PhD
Investigators
Mary Fleming Ackenbom, MD, MSc
Medical School
Luyun Chen, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering
Pamela S Fairchild, MD
Program Director, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship
Medical School
Dee E Fenner, MD
Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Professor of Urology
Medical School
J Brian Fowlkes, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Medical School
Christopher X Hong
Medical School
Kourosh Kalayeh, PhD
Research Investigator, Urology
Medical School
Jenny LaCross PT, DPT, PhD, ATC, CLT
Lisa Kane Low, PhD, CNM
Senior Associate Dean for Professional Graduate Studies and Professional Relations
Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing
Professor of Women's and Gender Studies, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School
Mariana Masteling, PhD
University of Michigan
Daniel M Morgan, MD
Clinical Professor of Urology
Medical School
Megan O Schimpf, MD, MHSA, FACOG
Clinical Professor of Urology and Medical Director, UMMG
Medical School
Payton C Schmidt, MD
Medical School
Research Staff
Sarah Block, BGS
