Collection & Research Networks

GAPPS collaborates with researchers around the world to develop global research and collection networks.

The Collection System

The GAPPS Repository is a coordinated and standardized system for collecting, processing, banking and sharing data and specimens from diverse populations of pregnant women. This information will drive discovery science research and lead to the development and delivery of innovative solutions in the field of maternal, newborn and child health.

Initial collection sites include hospitals with diverse and high-risk populations near GAPPS U.S. headquarters. This network will serve as a long-term preterm birth and stillbirth research resource, providing a standardized prospective collection of a large, diverse population.

High-quality data and prenatal specimens will be collected throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. Specimens will be linked to phenotypic data, enabling the study of multiple factors at different points throughout pregnancy—necessary for predicting adverse outcomes and their relation to gestational age. The GAPPS Repository also provides a resource for studies on other related maternal, newborn and child health issues, including those aimed at understanding the fetal origins of acute and chronic adult diseases.

Data and Specimens Will Become Shared Research Resource

Most other specimen collections are available to answer a specific research question, and have limited value for unrelated or comparative studies. This standardized collection of prenatal specimens and phenotypic data will enable broader research usage. All sites will follow GAPPS’s protocols and standard operating procedures during collection and processing. Data and specimens will be made available to researchers worldwide. Once collection processes are refined, GAPPS will help train and strengthen in-country research capacity.