This core was created to advance scientific understanding of maternal and infant health. We do this by partnering with thousands of women who provide information and specimens during their pregnancies and births.

These contributions of obstetric biological materials along with annotated clinical information can be used for research of normal and abnormal pregnancies and create knowledge that will improve the health of women and future generations.

Twenty percent of women delivering at Magee-Womens Hospital are enrolled in the MOMI Biobank and provide specimens. Participants in the MOMI Biobank are demographically representative of all Magee deliveries.

These are some of the subjects that researchers are using the MOMI Database and Biobank to address:

• The causes and prevention of premature birth
• The effectiveness and safety of medications during pregnancy
• The effectiveness of vaccines and how they impact maternal and infant immunity later in life
• How pregnancy affects women’s heart health later in life
• Opioid and drug use during pregnancy and the downstream effects on future generations.

The MOMI Biobank is available to work with your program to strengthen your research initiatives.

Retrospective and prospective obstetric biological samples available in the MOMI Biobank include:

• maternal blood
• maternal urine
• amniotic fluid
• cervical swabs
• vaginal swabs
• stool, microbiome specimens (including infant meconium)
• umbilical cord
• cord blood
• placental membranes (amnion, chorion)
• decidua
• myometrium
• adipose tissue

Our unique, web-based inventory system tracks our biological sample inventory and links this inventory to annotated clinical data. It sits behind the secure UPMC server.

Services offered:

• Honest Broker and IRB Services
• Research Histology
• Prospective tissue banking and collection

Disbursement is possible after appropriate IRB approvals have been obtained for research projects. All users must agree to the terms set forth in the Biological Specimen User Agreement.

If interested in either the obstetric biological materials or the clinical information, please contact Kristen Kamp at kampkm2@mwri.magee.edu to discuss your research needs.

We will begin processing your request immediately. Please allow 4-6 weeks for results.

Fee Structure:

There is currently not a fee for use of this database.

MOMI Database and Biobank Core
Magee-Womens Research Institute
204 Craft Avenue, Lab MWH 2680 and Lab MWRI B770
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Biobank Core Director

Dr. Arun Jeyabalan
E: jeyaax@upmc.edu
P: 412-641-5256

Database Core Manager

Dr. Janet Catov
E: catovjm@upmc.edu
P: 412-641-6217

Currently pregnant? If you’re interested in improving women’s health by contributing to the MOMI Database and Biobank, email us for a personal consultation.

A MOMI Database and Biobank team member will contact you by email or phone to coordinate meeting during one of your prenatal appointments. They will discuss how specimens will be collected during your pregnancy and birth and answer your questions. (The specimens collected for the MOMI Biobank are residual, meaning that they are already being collected during your clinical care or would otherwise be discarded. There are no additional steps for you.)