March of Dimes Awards $150,000 Each to Two Maternal Health Scientists
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ARLINGTON, Va. – October 29, 2026 -- March of Dimes has awarded $150,000 each to two early-career researchers, committing $300,000 in total through its 2026 Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Awards. The recipients are Dr. Helen Vuong, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and Dr. Laurie Eldredge, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Vuong to test whether the maternal gut microbiome carries iron's effects to the fetal brain
Vuong, an assistant professor in Minneapolis, studies the intersection of the maternal gut microbiome and fetal neurobiology. Her grant targets iron, an essential micronutrient that is deficient in 50 percent of pregnant women globally.