What is The Dische Fund?

The Dische Fund is named in honor of M. Renate Dische, MD, Ph.D., who has contributed to understanding of causes of perinatal and pediatric illness for over 50 years. This fund serves to support clinical and pathologic investigations into the causes of perinatal and fetal illness or death, and to aid in the development and testing of novel approaches to clinical diagnosis, patient monitoring and treatment.

Research currently is focused on improving the means of tissue (placental) diagnosis, and clinical surveillance and treatment of abnormal maternal blood vessel structure and function. Over the past two decades, this type of problem during pregnancy has been repeatedly identified as a cause of fetal and perinatal complications or death. Abnormal maternal vasculature has recently been suggested by investigators to indicate an increased risk of future cardiovascular disease for the mother herself. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in older women, but is under- and frequently misdiagnosed early in its course, when intervention can still be effective.

Community-based research is often not funded by federal grants. The Dische Fund recognizes, however, that only the "continuity of care" provided at the community level allows research questions of this type to be fully addressed. The protocols in place have drawn on the strengths of university and academic collaborators to approach the problems of how to improve fetal health, as well as women's health, with state-of-the-art technology.

These include:

• Development of improved diagnostic criteria for diagnosis of maternal vascular pathology.
• Clinical trial of targeted ultrasound surveillance and vascular therapy for subsequent pregnancies in women miscarrying with tissue evidence of maternal vascular pathology.
• Evaluation of patterns of obstetric outcomes to better discern risk factors for potentially recurrent pregnancy complications.
• Recruitment of women with past maternal vascular complications of pregnancy to assess blood levels of markers of risk for cardiovascular disease.

For information on projects that the Dische Fund has helped to fund and the students who are currently being sponsored, please read our Dische Fund Progress letter for 2001.

If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution please send your check or money order payable to The Dische Fund in care of Dr. Carolyn Salafia at:

EarlyPath Pathology Services
Sarah or Cynthia at 718-780-3634
Department of Pathology/ Attention Dr Carolyn Salafia
New York Methodist Hospital
506 Sixth Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

A letter acknowledging your charitable contribution will be sent within seven to ten working days. Thank you very much for your kind gift.

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