Mississippi Preeclampsia Collaborative Center
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Mississippi Preeclampsia Collaborative Center
Advancing research, education, and outreach to improve maternal health in Mississippi
The Mississippi Preeclampsia Collaborative Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is a multidisciplinary initiative focused on understanding, preventing, and improving outcomes related to preeclampsia. The Center brings together investigators in pharmacology, maternal-fetal medicine, perinatal research, and women’s health with clinicians and partners across Mississippi to strengthen research, clinician education, patient outreach, and community engagement.
About the Center
The Mississippi Preeclampsia Collaborative Center was established to unite researchers and clinicians at UMMC and across the state in a coordinated effort to address one of the most serious complications of pregnancy. The Center’s work is grounded in innovative research on the causes, effects, and therapeutics of preeclampsia, while also supporting prevention, prediction, training, and patient education.
The Center is designed to serve as a hub for multi-center collaboration, statewide enrollment, and long-term follow-up research involving women and children affected by preeclampsia. Its work extends beyond pregnancy alone, reflecting growing evidence that preeclampsia has long-term cardiovascular, neurovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic consequences for both mothers and offspring.
Why This Work Matters
Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality and remains a major women’s health concern in Mississippi and beyond. The materials provided for this project emphasize that hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are increasing, that Mississippi faces severe maternal and infant health burdens, and that preeclampsia contributes to both short-term and long-term health risks.
Research presented by the Center highlights that mothers with a history of preeclampsia face elevated risks of later cardiovascular and neurovascular disease, while children born from affected pregnancies may also face increased long-term health risks. These findings reinforce the need for stronger education, earlier recognition, better prevention strategies, and deeper translational research.
Our Mission
The mission of the Mississippi Preeclampsia Collaborative Center is to improve education about preeclampsia, strengthen prevention and prediction for women in Mississippi, support clinician training and patient outreach, and advance innovative research on the biological mechanisms, long-term consequences, and potential therapeutics of preeclampsia.
Our Goals
The Center’s work supports several major goals:
- Advance research into the causes, effects, and treatment of preeclampsia.
- Improve prevention and prediction strategies for women in Mississippi.
- Support clinician education and training in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
- Expand patient education and community outreach efforts.
- Promote collaboration across UMMC, affiliated clinics, and statewide partners.
- Study the long-term inflammatory and chronic disease consequences of preeclampsia in mothers and children.
Research Focus Areas
The Center’s scientific portfolio includes research in several key areas of preeclampsia pathophysiology and outcomes. Current includes studies on chronic inflammation, adaptive immunity, vascular dysfunction, autoantibodies, cerebrovascular consequences, postpartum effects and therapeutic approaches.
The Center’s projects include investigations of:
- Inflammation, hypertension, and long-term maternal well-being
- Adaptive immunity and autoantibody-mediated mechanisms
- Innate immunity, vascular dysfunction, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
- Anti-inflammatory and progesterone-mediated therapeutic strategies
Education and Outreach
Education and outreach are central parts of the Center’s mission. The Center supports educational and outreach activities, including Preeclampsia Week, educational seminars, awareness events, community engagement activities, and a May 2026 Preeclampsia Awareness Month campaign designed to promote awareness, prevention, and maternal health. Stay tuned for the calendar of events.
Collaboration and Statewide Impact
The Collaborative Center is built around partnership. Its mission includes bringing together researchers in the Women’s Health Research Center, the Perinatal Research Center, UMMC clinicians, and clinics and partners throughout Mississippi to work together on multi-center studies and improved patient education and prevention efforts.