Dr. Palatnik’s research focuses on reducing health disparities in preeclampsia and gestational diabetes and improving health outcomes for birthing people during and after pregnancy. She has published over 130 peer-reviewed publications in clinical obstetrics and patient-centered outcomes research. Her work includes leading NIH-funded clinical trials and prospective cohort studies focused on maternal health and pregnancy-related cardiometabolic risk. She directs a large clinical research division within the MCW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has extensive experience in clinical trials and human subjects research.
Dr. Palatnik completed the K30 Clinical Research Scholars Program (2017–2019), receiving formal training in biostatistics, epidemiology, IRB protocols, research ethics, and clinical trial design. She has also completed several national leadership programs, including the American Heart Association Research Leadership Academy and the Dan O’Keeffe SMFM Leadership Academy, where she developed expertise in multidisciplinary and multi-institutional team science leadership.
Dr. Palatnik is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She received her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees from the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and her fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Cardiovascular Center and the Center for Advancing Population Science at MCW.
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Dr. Palatnik regularly presents her research at national and international scientific meetings and is frequently invited to deliver lectures on maternal health, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and pregnancy-related cardiometabolic risk. Through these invited presentations, she disseminates findings from her clinical trials and population-based studies and contributes to advancing evidence-based care for pregnant and postpartum individuals. In addition to her research leadership, Dr. Palatnik is deeply committed to mentoring and training the next generation of clinician-scientists. She actively mentors medical students, residents, fellows, and early-career investigators, with a strong focus on developing research skills and fostering academic careers. Reflecting this commitment, more than half of her peer-reviewed publications include a mentee as the first author, highlighting her dedication to supporting trainee scholarship and academic advancement.
Palatnik, Anna, MD
Associate Professor; The Patrick J. and Margaret G. McMahon Endowed Chair; Vice Chair of Research
Specialty:
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Grisel Benitez, RN
Research Nurse
Tahlia Erickson
Clinical Research Coordinator
Amandla Gales, MSN, RN
Research Nurse
Raven Hall
Clinical Research Coordinator
Alyssa Hernandez, DO
Research Scientist II
Wandalee Lutzen
Clinical Research Coordinator
Erica Marion, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Zaira Peterson, RN
Research Nurse
Carlisa Prospere, RN
Research Nurse
Suzette Rosas-Rogers, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Gestational Diabetes and Pharmacotherapy (GAP)
Funded by the National Institute of Health the GAP study is a randomized controlled trial that investigates the optimal glycemic threshold for pharmacotherapy addition to medical nutrition therapy in gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects about 10% of pregnant women, many of whom will require treatment beyond diet and exercise. Despite this high prevalence, there is no consensus due to lack of evidence regarding the glycemic threshold for conversion from diet to medical treatment for GDM. No randomized studies have been performed on how to define failure with diet and exercise. It is important to establish criterion for pharmacotherapy initiation and titration for GDM in pregnancy as GDM under-treatment leads to increased rates of adverse obstetric outcomes associated with poor glycemic control including macrosomia, preeclampsia, cesarean birth, shoulder dystocia, birth trauma, and more. The GAP study will enroll 416 pregnant women with GDM and will compare two different thresholds for initiation of insulin for GDM. The GAP study will promote standardization in gestational diabetes management and will have direct relevance for clinical practice.
For more information contact Zaira Peterson: zpeterson@mcw.edu 414-955-2791
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Intensive Postpartum Antihypertensive Treatment (IPAT)
Funded by Advancing Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and the NIH (National Institute of Health), the IPAT study will evaluate the effect of intensive postpartum blood pressure control on risk of chronic hypertension, and on vascular function following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). The IPAT will randomize 60 postpartum patients with HDP at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) to intensive blood pressure control or to usual care. Patients enrolled in both arms will undergo education on healthy lifestyle following American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” of tobacco cessation, physical activity, healthy sleep, and healthy diet with detailed overview of DASH eating plan throughout the first year postpartum with monthly virtual educational session delivered by a registered dietician and a life coach. Cardiovascular health score will be assessed at 12 months postpartum in both groups. Participants will also undergo vascular function assessment: endothelial dysfunction with brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD), arterial stiffness with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and measurement of anti-angiogenic and inflammatory cardiac risk biomarker, soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1), at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 months postpartum. We are not actively recruiting for this study.
This study is complete and analysis is in progress.
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REPAIR
Funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the REPAIR study is a randomized controlled trial that studies the effect of tighter blood pressure control on the risk of chronic hypertension and vascular dysfunction following a hypertensive pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, like preeclampsia, complicate 8% of all pregnancies. People who had preeclampsia or gestational hypertension are at increased risk of continued problems with their blood pressure after they are no longer pregnant. It is unknown as to when medications should be used to prevent hypertension postpartum. It is important to establish a standard for starting blood pressure medication in the postpartum period to reduce complications of hypertension and promote recovery after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. The REPAIR study will enroll 618 postpartum women who had a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and will compare two different treatment plans for postpartum management of blood pressure.
For more information, contact Alyssa Hernandez: alyhernandez@mcw.edu; 414-955-2781
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ASCEND-WI
Funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), ASCEND-WI focuses on improving maternal health through community partnerships and research studies addressing systemic drivers of maternal morbidity and mortality. There are two trials that are supported by ASCEND-WI:
Building Trust and Uniting Teams Through Doula Partnership (BUNDLE) aims to determine if access to doula support services may improve birth outcomes for Black and African American pregnant people and their babies. BUNDLE has developed an integrated prenatal care model of medical providers and doulas, and the study will compare this model to standard prenatal care. The BUNDLE study will enroll 412 pregnant women and randomize them to routine prenatal care versus intervention. The intervention includes free community-based doula services. For more information, contact Erica Marion (emarion@mcw.edu)
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The Effect of Housing Instability and Neighborhood Deprivation on Maternal Health (HOME) aims to understand how housing instability and neighborhood deprivation impact maternal health, including the impact of stress on the body and pregnancy. The HOME study will enroll 600 pregnant patients who reside in Milwaukee County. This project hopes to better understand how housing impacts maternal health and find ways to improve maternal health and birth outcomes.
Within the ASCEND WI center, we have a training core and community engagement core. For more information, please visit the ASCEND WIÂ website.
Mindfulness and Wearable Biosensors to Prevent Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (MINDBP)
A clinical trial grant funded by the National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health. Mindfulness-based interventions hold significant promise as a non-pharmacological intervention to prevent preeclampsia. Mindfulness-based interventions significantly reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension and prehypertension. In the MINDBP study we seek to determine if prenatal mindfulness training intervention can be feasible, acceptable, and delivered with fidelity across multiple sites, MCW and Brown University with Dr. Margaret Bublitz.
In addition, we will explore whether our intervention can have even higher adherence with minor enhancement using wearable biosensors as they hold great potential to augment the beneficial effects of mindfulness by enabling continuous, realtime, and non-invasive monitoring of physiological responses. The MINDBP study will generate necessary data to inform a future large-scale trial examining effectiveness of MT in HDP prevention.
For more information, contact Tahlia Erickson at 414-955-4257.
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INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN OUR RESEARCH STUDIES?
Our aim is to improve outcomes and quality of care for mothers and babies. We are looking for research volunteers to participate in our studies and help us improve women’s health. We provide compensation for your time participating in research.
Please reach out to our research team at (414) 955-2781.
| Principal Investigator | Title of Research Study Awards / Publications / Presentations |
|---|---|
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Addressing key social-structural risk factors for racial disparities in maternal morbidity in Southeastern Wisconsin (ASCEND WI) *Grant funded by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Reducing the risk of chronic hypertension and improving vascular function following preeclampsia *Grant funded by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Intensive Postpartum Antihypertensive Treatment to Improve Women’s Cardiovascular Health *Grant funded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) |
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Gestational Diabetes and Pharmacotherapy (GAP) *Grant funded by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) |
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Food For Healthier Birth Outcomes *Grant funded by Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) |
| Palatnik, Anna, MD | Mindfulness and Wearable Biosensors to Prevent Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (MINDBP) * Grant funded by National Institute of Health (NIH)Â |