WIHSC helps researchers with the collection of high-quality data and biospecimens related to pregnancy and women and infants health.
A core facility within Washington University School of Medicine, the Women and Infants Health Specimen Consortium (WIHSC) was created in 2008 to advance excellence in the study of women’s and infants health. WIHSC obtains patient consent; collects, processes and stores specimens; and helps researchers select and obtain previously banked specimens based on a comprehensive database of outcomes metrics.
WIHSC is a collaborative effort between the Washington University departments of Pathology & Immunology and Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The team includes a principal investigator, Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD, to oversee operations and work with researchers. Our staff is a diverse group of individuals who are employees of the Division of Clinical Research in the Department of OBGYN.
About Washington University School of Medicine
A noted leader in patient care, research and education, Washington University School of Medicine has contributed many discoveries and innovations to medical science and practice since its founding in 1891. It is one of seven schools of Washington University in St. Louis.
Patient Care. Providing clinical services in partnership with the nationally-recognized Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, Washington University Physicians provide care for more than 940,000 children and adults at dozens of clinical sites each year (2012 data).
More about patient care »
Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Washington University Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) is the Institutional Review Board that serves Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Members of the reviewing committees include physicians, non-physician scientists, researchers, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists (among other members of the medical community), lawyers, clergy, and lay people from the St. Louis community.
More about HRPO and the IRB »
Patient and Participant Privacy. Washington University and its member organizations are committed to conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and university policies. Washington Univeristy has adopted this policy to set forth its compliance with those standards established by the Department of Health and Human Services under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) regarding the privacy of individually identifiable health information (the “Privacy Regulations”).