- Dr. Donna A. Santillan
- Research Professor, Vice Chair of Research,
University of Iowa Health Care
Dr. Donna A. Santillan, PhD, is a leading biomedical researcher dedicated to advancing women’s health through translational science. Dr. Santillan earned her PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Loyola University Chicago and performed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Iowa. As a Research Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Iowa, she directs the Division of Reproductive Science Research and leads the Women’s Health Tissue Repository (WHTR), which includes one of the nation’s most comprehensive biobanks for maternal health research.
Dr. Santillan’s research focuses on improving the health of women during and after pregnancy. Her work includes studying the long-term effects of hypertension in pregnancy on both mother and child, as well as investigating the effects of exposures during pregnancy on placental development and pregnancy outcomes. She has co-authored over 100 manuscripts and has been cited more than 3,300 times. In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Santillan received the 2024 Leadership in Research Award from the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research.
She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and has mentored over 100 students. Dr. Santillan is the Director of the Masters in Translational Biomedicine program and the Associate Director of Workforce Development in the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Iowa.
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