Two faculty members at the University of St. Thomas have been awarded a co-faculty fellowship from the Luann Dummer Center for Women to advance critical research on preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy condition that disproportionately affects women of color.
Dr. Kathleen Miller, an integrative physiologist, and Dr. Funmi Knutson, an epidemiologist, are both assistant professors in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the Morrison Family College of Health. Miller and Knutson will use the fellowship to support their interdisciplinary collaboration examining preeclampsia risk factors.
The condition poses significant health risks during pregnancy and affects non-Hispanic Black and Indigenous women at higher rates than other populations in the United States. Characterized by high blood pressure and other complications during pregnancy, preeclampsia can lead to serious health consequences for both mothers and babies if left untreated.
“The overall goal of this research is to enhance the understanding of modifiable environmental and lifestyle risk factors that improve women's health during pregnancy and beyond,” Miller said.
The research project represents an interdisciplinary approach to addressing maternal health disparities, combining the expertise of both researchers to identify factors that could potentially be modified to reduce preeclampsia risk.
The Luann Dummer Center for Women, which launched in 1993, addresses the needs and aspirations of the community on and off the St. Thomas campus through its educational programs, activities, and resources. It is hailed as a hub for feminist discourse and activism for the entire St. Thomas community through its partnerships and sponsorship of countless events and programs across the campus.
