Development of pregnancy study cohorts and biobanks

As part of GAPPS efforts to standardize pregnancy and birth research, we are leading the effort to build a “database of databases”—a centralized global database of pregnancy and birth cohort data and sample collections that will work as a “match.com for researchers.” The pregnancy and birth cohort registry will accelerate discovery by:

1. Facilitating collaboration between investigators
2. Helping philanthropic organizations better target funding efforts (For example, funders will be able to search the registry to learn how many sites around the world are studying preeclampsia and where they are located. This with help them to fund preeclampsia studies that will best complement or build on ongoing investigations.)
3. Informing future collection standards by providing a snapshot of the specimens researchers are currently collecting and how they are being collected