The POD Center Pilot Project Program (PPP) was established with support from the Office of Research to advance research that contributes to preventing health disparities early in life. Through this program the POD Center provides financial support for new or ongoing projects that aim to understand the multifactorial perinatal influences on health trajectories and disparities across the lifespan and/or to reduce the perinatal origins of disparities through innovative interventions. 

The PPP awards are intended to position researchers for future funding, capacity building, and growth in research areas related to perinatal health disparities. Recipients of a PPP grant receive $5,000 to $15,000 for their proposed activities. This year's funded projects include:

• The synergistic effects of SNAP and WIC participation on diet quality and weight status in low-income children (Lead Investigator: Lauren Au, PhD, RDN, Assistant Professor, Nutrition)
• Adding Zip Codes to Predict the Postpartum Readmission Risk for Patients with Preeclampsia in Pregnancy or Labor (Lead Investigator: Lihong Mo, MD, PhD, Fellow Physician, OBGYN)
• Psychedelic Treatment for Peripartum Mood Disorders (Lead Investigator: Danielle Stolzenberg, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology)
• Perinatal Biobehavioral Predictors of Health Disparities in Aging (Lead Investigator: Erin Kinnally, Ph.D., M.A., B.A., Associate Professional Researcher, Psychology)

Read the project abstracts here: POD Center 2023 PPP Funded Projects.pdf

Congratulations to all PPP award recipients!