The Perinatal Research Society was established in 1969 to foster scientific interchange among Pediatricians (neonatologists), Obstetricians and Basic Scientists with research interests in the areas of perinatal medicine and developmental biology. This unique group first gathered at the University of Colorado under the leadership of the late Fred Battaglia, MD. In 1970, when PRS was formally incorporated, the leadership reads like a Who’s Who of early perinatologists and researchers.
PRS Founding Corporation Directors 1970
| Founder | Institution | |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick Battaglia, MD | Dept of Pediatrics/Perinatology, University of Colorado | 1932- 2022 |
| Donald Cheek, MD | Dept of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Hospital | 1924-1990 |
| Andre Hellegers, MD | Dept of Obstetrics-Gynecology, Georgetown University | 1926-1979 |
| Robert Jaffe, MD | Dept of Obstetrics-Gynecology, University of Michigan | 1933-2020 |
| Stanley James, MD | Dept of Pediatrics, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center | 1925-1994 |
| Jan Langman, MD, PhD | Dept of Anatomy, University of Virginia | 1923-1981 |
| Edward Quilligan, MD | Dept of Obstetrics-Gynecology, Los Angeles County Hospital | |
| William Silverman, MD | Perinatal Health Center, Children’s Hospital of San Francisco | 1917-2004 |
| William Spellacy, MD | Dept of Obstetrics-Gynecology, University of Miami | 1934-2015 |
The Passing of PRS’ Founder
Frederick C. Battaglia, MD
Feb 15th, 1932 – Dec 30th, 2022
Frederick (Fred) Battaglia, MD passed away December 30, 2022 in Denver, CO. Born in 1932 in Weehawken, New Jersey, he earned his B.S. at Cornell University (1953) and graduated from Yale University School of Medicine (1957). He completed his pediatric internship at Johns Hopkins University (1958) and then went on to study biochemistry under Sir Philip Randle at Cambridge (1958-59) and physiology in Professor Donald Barron, PhD’s lab at Yale (1959-60). He then returned to Johns Hopkins to finish his pediatric residency (1962). Upon completion, he spent two years in Puerto Rico at the National Institutes of Health-funded Laboratory of Perinatal Physiology (1962-64).
Dr. Battaglia was appointed Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins (1963-65) and in 1965, he and his wife, Dr. Jane Donohue Battaglia, moved to the University of Colorado where he spent the remainder of his career.
Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Battaglia created the Division of Perinatal Medicine at Colorado with Drs Giacomo Meschia, MD (Apgar Awardee 1984) in physiology and Edgar (Ed) Makowski, MD in obstetrics/gynecology. His honors include membership in the Institute of Medicine, E. Mead Johnson Award in Perinatal Medicine (1969), American Academy of Pediatrics Virginia Apgar Award (1984), and the American Pediatric Society John Howland Award (2004). He also developed and implemented the Pediatric Scientist Development Program, which was established to help grow the number of pediatricians with expertise in basic research.
Dr. Battaglia’s passion for perinatology led to the creation of the PRS, which he founded and served as secretary/treasurer and president.
Our condolences to his family,
P.R.S.
ADDITIONAL Notable Achievements
- Professor Emeritus, Pediatrics/Perinatology, University of Colorado, 1965-2022
- Agnes Higgins Award in Maternal-Fetal Nutrition, March of Dimes 1984
- Faculty Teaching Award, American Academy of Pediatrics 1991