Table of Contents
Professorship Supports Research
to Help
with Difficult Pregnancies
Ramin seeks important information for pregnant women and their babies
The labor and delivery of a child is a lot more work for some than it is for others. As the fetus grows, so can the complications. Contending with cancer, rare hereditary illnesses, medical complications, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases can make childbirth a lot more than just labor.
Susan Ramin, M.D., the Berel Held, M.D., Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the UT Medical School at Houston, views an ultrasound in the clinic at The University of Texas Health Science Center Professional Building. Photo by Erika E. Durham
But obstetricians like Susan Ramin, M.D., of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, have dedicated their life's work to easing the burden for the mothers who need it most.
Ramin, whose primary interest is in complicated and high-risk pregnancies, is the Berel Held, M.D., Professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. She said the funding of this professorship has helped, and is continuing to help, her establish the infrastructure for clinical and basic science research in maternal-fetal medicine.
"Being awarded this professorship was an honor, an absolute honor," Ramin said.
Ramin has long been a part of the UT family, completing her residency and maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. She joined the Southwestern faculty in 1990 and served in 1996-98 as director of the Maternal- Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program.
She joined the health science center faculty in August 1998 as director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program. She was named to the Held Professorship in October 2003.
The Held Professorship was created by the health science center in honor of Berel Held, M.D., the first professor and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the health science center, serving from 1972-83. The institution named the professorship after Held as a tribute to his many philanthropic contributions and his significant work in establishing the department.
The department's Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine offers consultations to patients with a variety of high-risk obstetrical complications. In addition, the division offers ongoing prenatal care and offers counseling for patients with medical problems or complicated obstetrical histories or for those who just want up-to-date information prior to attempting pregnancy.
Ramin said she looks forward to conducting research in the future on the effects of drugs and medications in pregnancy. "We know very little about how drugs are metabolized in a pregnant woman and how they may affect a fetus," she said. "This research will provide important information for pregnant women and their babies."
Her dedication to the basics, while remaining committed to future initiatives, has drawn others to the division.
For example, Alex Vidaeff, M.D., now an associate professor, said he looked into applying at a variety of schools when considering his advanced education but credited Ramin as a major influence on his decision to complete the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at UT. He said her national reputation in the field and local respect for her work were hard to resist.
"Under Dr. Ramin's guidance I have been steered to conduct more basic science research," he said. "I feel that here is where I can truly fulfill my dream."
By Erika E. Durham, Public Affairs