Research
Research within the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health at SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital is informed by our commitment to excellence and innovation for all women’s health care issues and our highly collaborative culture.
Because of our extensive regional partnerships and clinical prominence in providing general and subspecialty care to a growing and diverse patient population, we are well-positioned to expand innovative research focusing on health and wellness promotion for women from diverse social and economic backgrounds.
We are home to a Research Seed Grant program and work with regional partners to launch initiatives to improve perinatal outcomes.
Research Division Director
Jennifer Bickhaus, M.D., is our research division director.
Her vision for the department is to build on the broad range of faculty research interests and activities in collaboration with our University, community and hospital partners to promote translational research at the interface between community contexts, clinical care and quality improvement with a focus on improving health outcomes.
Research Interests and Activities
Research interests and current activities are listed by faculty members below. Collaborative projects appear under the name of the principal investigator.
Professor and director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Research interests:
- Medical complications of pregnancy: Means to reduce risk of deep venous thrombosis, peripartum infection, back pain; Evidence-based medicine comprehension; and Mechanism of pre-term labor, IUGR.
- Correlation between fetal lung maturity and the presence of the proximal humeral epiphysis
- Maternal and fetal copper levels in cholestasis of pregnancy
- Treatment utility of postpartum antibiotics in chorioamnionitis study
- The effect of a barrier self-retaining retractor in obese patients undergoing Cesarean Section
Adjunct associate professor
Current research activity:
- Vulvodynia
- Recurrent yeast infections
Associate professor
Current research activity:
- Recurrent candidiasis and vulvodynia, vulvar disease.
- Vulvodynia
- Effect of vestibulectomy in the treatment of intractable vulvodynia
Professor
Research interests:
- Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, including laparoscopic hysterectomy, myomectomy, robotic surgery and operative hysteroscopy; Abnormal uterine bleeding, uterine fibroids, postmenopausal bleeding, dysmenorrhea and alternatives to hysterectomy, menopause, Resident and medical student education.
- Does the use of a disposable, ultrasonic energy source save time and therefore costs when performing laparoscopic hysterectomies?
- Factors that predict difficulty of laparoscopic hysterectomy
Professor
Research interests:
- Pelvic floor dysfunction, conservative treatment of incontinence and prolapse and constipation. Peripheral sacral neuromodulation for urge incontinence, voiding dysfunction and pelvic pain. Lumbosacral dysfunction associated with pelvic pain. Treatment of interstitial cystitis, myofascial pain. Treatment of overactive bladder.
Assistant professor
Research interests:
- Management of abnormal pap smears, colposcopy and cervical dysplasi. Database to collect information form colposcopy clinic
- Outcomes of maternal hypertension and diabetes.
Professor and interim chair of the Division of Gynecologic Sub-Specialties, director of the urogynecology section and director of the residency program.
Research interests:
- Voiding dysfunction after midurethral sling, cystoscopic findings in patients with prolapse, and incontinence compared to those with pain, resident education, different techniques for tension free slings, role of hydro distension and interstitial cystitis, role of estrogen in interstitial cystitis.
Associate professor
Research interests:
- Gynecological issues in females affected by an ectodermal dysplasia syndrome. Consultant member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasis. Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Gynecologic Care for Special Needs population. Musculoskeletal causes of abdominal and pelvic pain.
Assistant professor
Research interests:
- Developing Tdap guidelines for pregnancy and then evaluating uptake among clinicians. Venofer use in antepartum and postpartum period. Vaccines in pregnancy; intravenous iron; antepartum; postpartum
Assistant professor
Current research activity:
- Vulvovaginitis: Candida species distribution and prevalence at Saint Louis University Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professor
Research interests:
- Simulation and education; maternal medical disease in pregnancy, genetics, applications of technology in medicine, patient quality.
- A retrospective review of patients presenting with vaginal mesh complications requiring surgical excision, evaluating for surgical outcomes and complications
Professor and director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology/Fertility
Research interests:
- Infertility treatments, polycystic ovarian syndrome, abnormal uterine bleeding and hirsutism. Medical student education. Am on both IRB committees and serve on the SSM cooperate IRB.
Associate professor and director of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology
Research interests:
- Correlation of resident vs. formal ultrasounds; self-retaining retractor and impact on infection rates. Infectious disease; medical student education
- Concordance rates of Resident performed Ultrasound Measurements and Formal Ultrasound Reports in an Obstetric Triage Area
- Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Curves in early pregnancy and Reproductive Outcome
Assistant professor
Research interests:
- Establish a laparoscopic training module for residents and students to improve their surgical skills. Complex gynecological surgery.