Professor
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Dr. Ramesha Papanna, MD, MPH
Professor & Director, Division of Fetal Intervention, McGovern Medical School
Expertise: Fetal Intervention, Preterm Delivery Prevention, Fetal Surgery Research
About Dr. Papanna:
Dr. Ramesha Papanna is an esteemed Professor at the Division of Fetal Intervention, McGovern Medical School. He serves as the Director of the Division and Program Director for the Fetal Intervention Fellowship. As the Co-Director of The Fetal Center, Dr. Papanna is internationally recognized for his pioneering research and lectures on enhancing outcomes in fetal intervention and developing strategies to prevent preterm delivery post-fetal surgery.
Educational Journey:
Dr. Papanna embarked on his medical journey in India, earning his medical degree. He then moved to Houston, Texas, where he acquired his Master’s in Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center's School of Public Health. His residency at Rochester General Hospital was marked by a keen research focus on diagnosing preeclampsia. Following this, Dr. Papanna further specialized through a fetal intervention fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine and a maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at Yale University, where he concentrated on fetal membrane biology.
Specialty Interests:
Dr. Papanna is renowned for his work in preventing preterm delivery following fetal intervention and surgery. He is deeply engaged in fetal interventions for conditions like twin-twin transfusion syndrome and fetal spina bifida, utilizing both fetoscopic and needle-guided in-utero procedures.
Research Contributions:
His current research includes an NIH-funded project exploring the effectiveness of a patch made from human amniotic membrane and underwater adhesive to seal fetoscopic membrane defects and avert preterm premature rupture of membranes. He is also investigating the use of cryopreserved human umbilical cord patches as a regenerative matrix for in-utero spina bifida repair.