women sit on couch together and laugh while reading papers
Program in Research and Innovation on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes (PRIMO)

Our experts are focused on understanding and improving outcomes for obstetrics and obstetric care delivery through the Program in Research and Innovation on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes (PRIMO).

Program Overview

The Program in Research and Innovation on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes (PRIMO) is a collaborative obstetric research group focused on closing critical knowledge gaps, improving the safety of modern obstetric care, and translating this knowledge onto national platforms.

PRIMO brings together a group of experts from the University of Michigan with diverse professional backgrounds, experiences, and interests, including clinicians, engineers, basic scientists, researchers and public health professionals. 

Leveraging Multidisciplinary Collaborations

Clinical Specialties

  • Maternal Fetal Medicine
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology 

Engineering

  • Mechanical
  • Biomedical
  • Industrial and Operations 
  • Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Public Health Professionals

  • Epidemiologists
  • Public Policy
  • Environmental Health 
Using Innovative Methods to Tackle the Biggest Challenges in Obstetric Care

We leverage engineering principles applied to cervical ripening–a final common pathway leading to preterm birth. We use ultrasound imaging and a novel device to numerically quantify cervical softening and predict time to delivery. Learn more about our work in predicting preterm birth.

The University of Michigan School of Medicine and College of Engineering convene in the Michigan Innovation in MAternity care & enGINEering Center (MI-IMAGINE).  In this center, we develop collaborations from the tissue/organ level, to the individual level, to the health system level, to state and societal level considerations to combine innovation in engineering and innovation in clinical medicine to address obstetric outcomes, maternal morbidity, and fetal complications.

The MFM Cardio-Obstetrics program has active research focused on optimizing pregnancy and life-long health outcomes for pregnant people with cardiovascular disease. The research agenda of this multidisciplinary team includes basic, translational, epidemiologic, and population-level investigations to improve life-long health.  

Learn More About Our Clinical Cardio-Obstetrics Program

Dr. Peahl works with the Center for Health Engineering and Patient Safety to model how clinical policies affect care access, particularly for marginalized patients. Using this data, her team models how care can be optimally delivered to improve clinical operations, improve the patient experience, and reduce clinician burnout.

We use advanced analytics and patient-centered methods to understand optimal pain management that reduces the risks of opioids in pregnancy and the postpartum period.

With ongoing prospective studies including randomized control trials on labor and delivery there is an active culture of inquiry to generate cutting-edge evidence to improve the care of laboring people. 

In this work we seek to examine HOW innovative and practice-changing research in maternal and neonatal outcomes is achieved. We examine recruitment techniques, systems for research operations, equity in research participation, and innovation required to build a sustainable model for generating knowledge, translating knowledge into clinical spaces, implementation/de-implementation, and sustaining change. 

Research Infrastructure Hub  

The PRIMO Infrastructure Hub involves administrative and regulatory guidance, database expertise, research support staff, study planning consults, and active an active community that seeks to make linkages to leverage multidisciplinary collaborations.

Learn More or Request a Consult

Program Leadership
profile-molly-stout-2023 Molly Jean Stout, MD, MSCI
Morton R Lazar Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology Innovation
Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Section Head
Maternal Fetal Medicine
profile-alex-peahl-2023 Alex Peahl, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Julie Tumbarello Julie Tumbarello, MA
Senior Research Manager - Dept. of OBGYN
Administrative Director- Program in Research & Innovation on Maternal Outcomes
Fiduciary Lead – Region 9 Perinatal Quality Collaborative

With PRIMO, we are leading cutting-edge innovation to make the pregnancies of tomorrow safer, happier, and healthier.

Molly Stout, MD, MS
PRIMO Program Director
Profile of Molly jean stout