Louis J. Muglia, M.D., Ph.D., Named to Institute of Medicine

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Louis J. Muglia, M.D., Ph.D, Co-Director of the Perinatal Institute and Director of the Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, has been elected to membership in the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences.

New members are elected by current active members through a highly selective process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions in the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health. Dr. Muglia takes his place alongside 70 other newly elected members this year, bringing the IOMs total active membership to 1,753.

Dr. Muglia has pioneered the in vivo analyses of regulation of the endocrine stress response and the molecular pathways leading to birth. The endocrine system secretes hormones directly into the blood system. In vivo analysis is research conducted in a living organism instead of a petri dish. The Muglia laboratory seeks to define the biological process controlling the timing for birth in humans. The composition of the biological clock that controls the duration of human gestation remains a central question in reproductive biology.

Among Dr. Muglia’s achievements are more than 175 publications and many awards, including a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Development Award in the Biomedical Sciences, the Society of Pediatric Research Young Investigator Award, and election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and Association of American Physicians. In 2010, Dr. Muglia was elected to Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is an active member of the Society for Pediatric Research, Society for Neuroscience, and the Pediatric Endocrine Society. Dr. Muglia currently serves as chair of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

In May 2013, it was announced that Dr. Muglia is the coordinating principal investigator for the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center – Ohio Collaborative, a new research program aimed exclusively at finding the unknown causes of premature birth. The March of Dimes is investing $10 million in the program over five years. Three major Ohio universities and four Ohio hospitals are involved in the effort. Partners include: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus; Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MetroHealth System, Cleveland.

Prior to joining Cincinnati Children’s, Dr. Muglia was Edward Claiborne Stahlman Professor and Vice Chair for Research Affairs in Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Muglia earned his Doctor of Medicine (1988) and Doctor of Philosophy (1986) degrees from the University of Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in biophysics from the University of Michigan in 1981.

About Cincinnati Children’s

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals in U.S.News and World Report’s 2013 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking. It is ranked #1 for cancer and in the top 10 for nine of 10 pediatric specialties. Cincinnati Children’s is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, and a research and teaching affiliate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The medical center is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through fully integrated, globally recognized research, education and innovation. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org. Connect on the Cincinnati Children’s blog, via Facebook and on Twitter.

About the Institute of Medicine

The Institute of Medicine is unique in its structure as both an honorific membership organization and an advisory organization. Established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, IOM has become recognized as a national resource for independent, scientifically informed analysis and recommendations on health issues. With their election, members make a commitment to volunteer their service on IOM committees, boards, and other activities. Projects during the past year include studies of the benefits of including physical activity in the school environment, direct health outcomes of sodium intake, regional variations in Medicare spending, child abuse and neglect in the U.S., improved delivery of cancer care, the commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of minors in the U.S., post-deployment needs of Iraq and Afghanistan service members, gun violence research priorities in the U.S., and the international problem of illegitimate and substandard medications.