August 6, 2020 – Melbourne, FL – The Preeclampsia Foundation is seeking Letters of Intent for the Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants funding program, designed to accelerate preeclampsia research.  The ultimate goal of this grant program is to drive research that will eliminate the delivery of pre-term babies as an intervention for severe preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Named for the infant son of preeclampsia survivor Lauren Pappas and her husband Clement, the program seeks to award multiple grants totaling up to $200,000 each year.

Investigators meeting the program’s criteria are invited to submit Letters of Intent for 2021 proposals by September 2, 2020. Letters of Intent that are of interest to the scientific review committee and the Preeclampsia Foundation’s Board of Directors will then be invited to submit full applications by October 9, 2020 with award decisions rendered in December 2020.

In addition to meeting the fund’s goals, preference will be given to proposals that use or build upon data available through the Preeclampsia Registry™ (self-reported, whole exome sequenced, and clinical data), or that will produce data or biological materials that can be added to the Registry’s data/bio repository. In addition to utilizing the Registry and its rich assets, proposals must align with the Preeclampsia Foundation’s vision of a world where preeclampsia no longer threatens the lives of mothers and their babies. Examples of such proposals include but are not limited to mechanisms for improved diagnosis or prediction and therapeutic interventions to halt, reverse, or prevent the placental and organ dysfunction associated with the condition.

“Five years ago, we lost our son Peter due to preeclampsia following a 29-week delivery,” explained Lauren Pappas. “Since then we have dedicated our lives to helping others avoid the same outcome by establishing the Peter Joseph Pappas Fund.”

“Thanks to generous contributions from family and friends, and our partnership with the Preeclampsia Foundation, we are making strides to reach our ultimate goal of eliminating pre-term births due to preeclampsia by 2050,” added Clement Pappas.

The Peter Joseph Pappas Research Grants program adds to the Preeclampsia Foundation’s portfolio of research programs including the Vision Grant program for young investigators, PRIME for health services research, EMPOWER, which helps build research capacity in low- and middle-income countries, and the Preeclampsia Registry, a dynamic database of research participants including preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome survivors, family members, and controls (unaffected individuals).

Complete details can be found online at www.preeclampsia.org/research/research-funding. Letters of intent are due by Wednesday, September 2, 2020, via email to PJPGrants@preeclampsia.org.

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization established in 2000. Its purpose is to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. The Preeclampsia Foundation envisions a world where hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and their babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.

About the Peter Joseph Pappas Fund

Clement and Lauren Pappas of Philadelphia, PA, lost their firstborn child, Peter Joseph, after HELLP syndrome necessitated his early delivery. Their son, born at 29 weeks’ gestation, spent a week in the neonatal intensive care unit before dying from a central line infection. The Pappas family, along with friends and family, have established a special fund with the Preeclampsia Foundation to advance research, with the overarching goal of eliminating pre-term births due to preeclampsia by 2050.

About The Preeclampsia Registry

The first of its kind to focus solely on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, The Preeclampsia Registry captures self-reported and clinical information (medical records) as well as family and pregnancy history, and DNA. Overseen by an Institutional Review Board, the Registry ensures participants’ privacy and rights in medical research. The Registry only shares de-identified information with approved scientists, researchers, and clinicians. Launched in 2013, it currently includes over 6,000 participants from every state in the nation as well as dozens of countries around the world.