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Pamela Moalli, MD, PhD

Interim Executive Director, Magee-Womens Research Institute; Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh; Division Director, Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital

Damage to the muscles and tissues that provide support to the pelvic organs at the time of vaginal birth can lead to debilitating conditions across the female lifespan. Unfortunately, scientifically based therapies to treat these disorders are sparse. We aim to improve the lives of women by improving the efficacy of current treatments and developing novel therapies specifically targeted at repairing underlying injury.
Pamela Moalli, MD, PhD

Research in Brief

Dr. Moalli's research focuses on understanding and treating pelvic floor disorders that affect many women, such as pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. By developing better materials and surgical techniques, her work aims to improve the quality of life for women experiencing these conditions.

Translational Research Laboratories in Urogynecology (TRLU): 

Co-directed by Pamela Moalli, MD PhD and Steve Abramowitch, PhD, the overarching goal of this collaboration is to contribute insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence – two common pelvic floor disorders. Their main areas of research focus are 1) comprehensive analysis of commonly used biomaterials in urogynecologic procedures 2) defining mechanisms of failure after reconstructive pelvic surgeries, 3) designing novel devices for surgical repair 4) defining mechanisms of maternal birth injury, 5) and vaginal biofabrication for women experiencing massive tissue loss. The group has expertise in computational modeling, cellular and molecular biology including both traditional and high throughput platforms, soft tissue mechanics, mechanobiology, tissue regeneration and immunomodulation. 

TRLU’s current portfolio of investigations include:

Synthetic materials for urogynecologic applications: The group is a world leader in studies defining the impact of commonly used urogynecologic meshes on the vagina in animal models (primate) and women, modifying the host response to improve long term outcomes, and developing materials that are designed specifically to match the properties of the vagina. In ex vivo mechanical tests in conjunction with computational analyses, they have clearly demonstrated that prolapse meshes often have markedly unstable geometries with a dramatic loss of porosity with small applications of tension and that stresses imposed on the vagina by the mesh have significant regional variability. These effects are largely driven by modifiable factors including the pore geometry of the mesh, the degree of tension, and how the mesh is anchored. Indeed, the group’s experimental and computational model predictions of the impact of these mechanical effects are confirmed in mesh explants removed from women with mesh complications which demonstrate buckles, folds, and pore collapse. Using ex vivo mechanical tests in conjunction with animal models and computational analyses, the group has demonstrated that most mesh used for incontinence and prolapse surgery have unstable geometries with a loss of porosity under modest tension. They have demonstrated that this is a mechanism for complications (exposures and visceral erosions). The group is currently developing a new generation of meshes based on elastomeric polymers and stable geometries as an alternative to current polypropylene meshes which plastically deform when loaded. In addition, they are working towards personalized meshes based on 3D modeling of an individual patient’s vagina and specific support defects with the idea that it is unlikely that a single mesh type and geometry is an appropriate match for all women with prolapse. The group is building more comprehensive computational models to provide insight into mechanisms of maternal injury at the time of vaginal birth. Finally, they are fabricating synthetic mechanical niches for engraftment of vaginal stem cells for use in vaginal biofabrication. 

  • Cason SN, Moalli PA, Lockhart ME, Richter HE, Abramowitch SD, Bowen ST. Racial differences in the levator ani muscle and levator hiatus in individuals of reproductive age. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Dec 23:S0002-9378(24)01208-0. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.12.024. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39722323. 
  • Bowen ST, Moalli PA, Rogers RG, Corton MM, Andy UU, Rardin CR, Hahn ME, Weidner AC, Ellington DR, Mazloomdoost D, Sridhar A, Gantz MG; NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. Postoperative Sexual Function After Vaginal Surgery and Clitoral Size, Position, and Shape. JAMA Surg. 2025 Apr 1;160(4):396-406. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.6922. PMID: 39937459; PMCID: PMC11822609. EDITOR’S CHOICE and cover feature of journal  
  • Therriault MA, Kottapalli S, Artsen A, Knight K, King G, Meyn L, Brown BN, Moalli PA. Profiling of the macrophage response to polypropylene mesh burden in vivo. Biomaterials. 2025 Jul;318:123177. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123177. Epub 2025 Feb 11. PMID: 39961254. 
  • Andy UU, Meyn L, Brown HW, Moalli PA, Ferrando CA, Shippey S, Omosigho UR, Kowalski JT, Guaderrama NM, Anger JT, Foster RT Sr, Gutman RE, Yurteri-Kaplan L. Outcomes at 12, 24, and 36 Months in Women Treated for Pelvic Organ Prolapse With Pessary or Surgery: Results From the Multicenter Pelvic Floor Disorders Registry. Urogynecology (Phila). 2025 Feb 27. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001669. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40043183. 
  • Artsen AM, Mayr CA, Weber K, Rytel K, Moalli PA. Polypropylene surgical mesh induces lipid oxidation in a nonhuman primate model. Acta Biomater. 2025 Apr 3:S1742-7061(25)00245-4. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2025.04.003. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40187672. 
  • Sung VW, Menefee S, Richter HE, Moalli PA, Andy U, Weidner A, Rahn DD, Paraiso MF, Jeney SE, Mazloomdoost D, Gilbert J, Whitworth R, Thomas S; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. Patient perspectives in adverse event reporting after vaginal apical prolapse surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Aug;231(2):268.e1-268.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2024.04.043. Epub 2024 May 6. PMID: 38710268; PMCID: PMC11283937. 
  • Menefee SA, Richter HE, Myers D, Moalli P, Weidner AC, Harvie HS, Rahn DD, Meriwether KV, Paraiso MFR, Whitworth R, Mazloomdoost D, Thomas S; NICHD Pelvic Floor Disorders Network. Apical Suspension Repair for Vaginal Vault Prolapse: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg. 2024 May 22:e241206. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.1206. Epub ahead of print. Erratum in: JAMA Surg. 2024 Jul 10. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.2789. PMID: 38776067; PMCID: PMC11112501. 
  • Vargo VS, Routzong MR, Moalli PA, Rostaminia G, Abramowitch SD. Improving radiological quantification of levator hiatus features with measures informed by statistical shape modeling. J Med Imaging (Bellingham). 2024 Jul;11(4):045001. doi: 10.1117/1.JMI.11.4.045001. Epub 2024 Aug 10. PMID: 39131568; PMCID: PMC11316399.   
  • Woods N, Melnyk AI, Moalli P. Waste not want not: the story of surgical trash. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2024 Dec 1;36(6):444-449. doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000992. Epub 2024 Sep 9. PMID: 39361335. 
  • Knight K, Breedlove S, Obisesan T, Egnot M, Daneshdoost N, King G, Meyn L, Gall K, Moalli P. Vaginal host response to polycarbonate urethane, an alternative material for the repair of pelvic organ prolapse. Acta Biomater. 2024 Nov;189:298-310. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.09.040. Epub 2024 Oct 1. PMID: 39362452. 
  • Melnyk AI, Mowers EE, Janmey I, Meyn LA, Woods N, Moalli P. Green Cystoscopy: Does Minimizing the Use of Drapes Increase Infection Rates? Urogynecology (Phila). 2024 Nov 8. doi: 10.1097/SPV.0000000000001602. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39514248. 

For additional publications, visit Pubmed.

Steven Abramowitch, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Rui Liang, MD Research Assistant Professor Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Stacy Palcsey, BS Lab Manager and Study Coordinator
Gabrielle King, BS, MS Senior Research Associate
Amanda Artsen, MD, MSc Fellow, Division of Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science
Katrina Knight, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Bioengineering
Shaniel Bowen, BS Graduate Student, Department of Bioengineering
Alexis Nolfi, BS PhD Student, Department of Bioengineering

Dec 3, 2024
MWRI Faculty Members Receive Over $18 Million in Latest Round of NIH Grants

Mar 28, 2024
Dysregulated Wound Healing in the Pathogenesis of Urogynecologic Mesh Complications

Nov 18, 2021
Pitt Researchers Part of International Team Awarded $1 Million Magee Prize

Oct 7, 2021
Magee-Womens Research Institute Announces Finalists for $1 Million Prize

Jun 17, 2019
Dr. Pamela Moalli’s research highlighted in story on pelvic organ prolapse

Feb 28, 2019
What Comes After Transvaginal Mesh?

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