Michael W. Varner,
MD
Vice-Chair of Research, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology
Languages Spoken: English
Michael W. Varner, MD joined the Department in 1987 and currently serves as the HA and Edna Benning Endowed Presidential Professor and Vice-Chair for Research. His major interests lie in clinical trials and research administration. He has facilitated research, education, and clinical collaborations between the Department and Intermountain Healthcare for his entire tenure at the University. He has served the Department previously as the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division Director and as the Residency Program Director. He has served the institution as the Interim Director of the Program in Personalized Healthcare, the Associate Director of the University’s Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTSA award) and on numerous ad hoc committee assignments. He has been funded continuously by the NIH since 1996 and has served on numerous standing and ad hoc NIH grant review panels. Along with his wife (Kathleen Digre MD), he is the co-recipient of the 2012 University of Utah Rosenblatt Prize, the University's highest faculty honor in recognition of career excellence in teaching, research and administration.
Specialties
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Obstetrics/Gynecology
-
Professor Pediatrics - Adjunct Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Maternal-Fetal Medicine Neonatology |
| Board Certification | American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Obstetrics & Gynecology) American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Sub: Maternal-Fetal Medicine) |
Michael W. Varner, MD joined the Department in 1987 and currently serves as the HA and Edna Benning Endowed Presidential Professor and Vice-Chair for Research. His major interests lie in clinical trials and research administration. He has facilitated research, education, and clinical collaborations between the Department and Intermountain Healthcare for his entire tenure at the University. He has served the Department previously as the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division Director and as the Residency Program Director. He has served the institution as the Interim Director of the Program in Personalized Healthcare, the Associate Director of the University’s Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTSA award) and on numerous ad hoc committee assignments. He has been funded continuously by the NIH since 1996 and has served on numerous standing and ad hoc NIH grant review panels. Along with his wife (Kathleen Digre MD), he is the co-recipient of the 2012 University of Utah Rosenblatt Prize, the University's highest faculty honor in recognition of career excellence in teaching, research and administration.
Academic Locations
Research Statement
Michael W. Varner, MD has served as the Department’s Vice-Chair for Research since 2006. His major research interests lie in clinical trial and research administration, pregnancy as a window to women’s and children’s future health, and facilitating research career development for trainees and junior faculty. He developed and directs the Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Network, a consortium of over 50 research personnel who conduct and administer the many clinical trial networks - both obstetric and gynecologic - in which the Department participates. Dr. Varner currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the Utah Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network site, a long-term collaboration between Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Utah. He is a Utah investigator on three other NIH-funded clinical trial networks and is a mentor/collaborator on a number of individual and institutional training grants, including the Department’s BIRCWH and WRHR K12 awards. In addition to his Departmental obligations he is the Associate Director of the University's Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTSA award). He has authored or co-authored over 400 peer-reviewed publications.
Board Certification and Academic Information
| Academic Departments | Obstetrics/Gynecology
-
Professor Pediatrics - Adjunct Professor |
| Academic Divisions | Maternal-Fetal Medicine Neonatology |
| Board Certification | American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Obstetrics & Gynecology) American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Sub: Maternal-Fetal Medicine) |
Research Interests
- Pregnancy, High-Risk
Education History
| Fellowship | University of Iowa Maternal/Fetal Medicine Fellow, 1981 |
| Residency | University of Iowa OB/GYN Resident, 1979 |
| Internship | University of Iowa OB/GYN Intern, 1976 |
| Professional Medical | University of Minnesota Medicine M.D., 1975 |
| Undergraduate | St. Olaf College B.A., 1971 |
Selected Publications - Journal Articles
Patent
- Varner MW, Fernando KL, Matthews VJ, Clark EB (2008). Method Apparatus for Predicting Maternal Hypertension During Pregnancy Using Coherence Analysis of Maternal and Fetal Blood Velocity Waveforms. U.S. Patent No. 7,374,539. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.