Dr. Coustan's research interests focus on the epidemiology of gestational diabetes and its treatment. He is Regional PI for North America of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) study, a recently completed National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded multinational multi-institutional blinded evaluation of glucose tolerance test associations with various pregnancy outcomes. The study enrolled 25,000+ subjects and the results will enable outcomes-based glucose tolerance test criteria in pregnancy.

Biography

Donald R. Coustan, M.D. is the immediate past Chace/Joukowsky Professor and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Brown Medical School and Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Chief at Women and Infants Hospital, having stepped down in October 2008. He joined the faculty as Director of Maternal and Fetal Medicine in 1981, was appointed Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1986 and Chairman of the Department in 1991. Dr. Coustan continues his active clinical participation in the Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine. His research interests have been focused on the epidemiology of gestational diabetes and its treatment.

Institutions

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Research Description

Dr. Coustan has published data on various aspects of carbohydrate metabolism in pregnancy and the epidemiology of gestational diabetes. His colleague, Dr. Marshall Carpenter and he proposed a set of criteria for gestational diabetes in 1979; these have been widely adopted in the United States. Currently he is engaged in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) study in which subjects at centers throughout the world had a blinded 75 gram, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Data collected include various pregnancy outcomes, both for mother and neonate, as well as various biochemical measurements at birth and in the early neonatal period. These blinded data will have sufficient power to enable the establishment of widely acceptable, outcomes based criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes; such criteria were proposed in 2010 by the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups.

Awards

Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002

Affiliations

Membership in Professional Organizations

HONORARY

Phi Beta Kappa, 1964

Sigma Xi, 1964

Honorary Member, Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, 1996-


LOCAL

New Haven Obstetrical Society, 1975-1982

Professional Advisory Board, March of Dimes, New Haven Chapter, 1980-1982

Professional Advisory Board, March of Dimes, Rhode Island Chapter, 1986-

Diabetes and Endocrine Society of Rhode Island, 1982-

Providence Medical Association, 1984-
Executive Committee, 1986-1995

STATE

American Diabetes Association, Connecticut Affiliate, Board of Directors, 1980-1982
American Diabetes Association, Rhode Island Affiliate, Board of Directors, 1984-1993
Honorary Trustee, 1993-
Vice President, 1986-1991
Chairman, Professional Education Committee, 1985-1987

Rhode Island State Medical Society, 1983-
President, 1989-1990
Secretary, 1988-1989
Peer Review Committee on Physician Competence, 1986-1994
AIDS Advisory Committee, 1987-1988

State of Rhode Island, Children's Code Commission, Subcommittee on Drug Exposed Children, 1989

State of Rhode Island, Department of Health
Diabetes Professional Advisory Council, 1989-1994
HIV Program Advisory Committee, 1989-1991
Chair, HIV Provider Education Committee, 1995-

REGIONAL

New England Perinatal Society, 1982-
Program Chairman, 1987-1990

Obstetrical Society of Boston, 1985-
Associate, 1985-1991
Fellow, 1991-
Prudential Committee, 1994-96
Second Vice President, 1996-97
First Vice President, 1997-98
President, 1998-99

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
District I Meeting Scientific Program Chair, Newport, RI, October 1995

Advisory Board, Maine Diabetes in Pregnancy Project, 1986-1994

American Diabetes Association, New England Region
Board of Directors, 1998-
President, New England Region, 2001-2001

NATIONAL

Fellow, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 1974-
Committee on Technical Bulletins: Obstetrics, 1990-1993
Chair, 1993-1995
Precis Advisory Committee, 1999-

American Diabetes Association, 1977-
Council on Diabetes in Pregnancy
Secretary, 1985-1986
Program Chairman, 1989-1991
Member, Task Force on Type I Diabetes in Pregnancy, 1986-1988
Member, Task Force on Gestational Diabetes, 1987-1989
Vice Chair, 1992-1994
Chairperson, 1994-1996
Professional Section Advisory Panel, 1994-1996
Vice Chair, 1995-1996
Chairperson, 1996-1997
Co-Chair, Task Force on the Professional Section, 1995-1997
Member, Future Directions Steering Committee, 1996-1997
Member, Marketing & Communications Committee, 1998-1999
Member, Publications Policy Committee, 1999-2001
Member, Programs Committee, 2001-2003
Member, Task Force on Building and Supporting Effective Volunteer Community Organizations, 2002-2003
Board of Directors, 2000-2003
Nominating Committee, 2003-

Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (now Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine), 1979-
Leader, Special Interest Group on Diabetes, 1987-1989
Board of Directors, 1989-1992
Chairperson, Standards Committee, 1989-1991
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, 1991-1993
Secretary/Treasurer, 1993-1995
Vice President/President Elect 1995-1996
President, 1996-1997
Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002

American Fertility Society, 1977-1981

American Medical Association, 1983-
Diabetes CME Advisory Board, 1999-

Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1982-
APGO/Wyeth Leadership Development Program Advisory Committee, 1997-2000

National Diabetes Advisory Council, Diabetes Treatment Centers of America Foundation,
1989-1990

National Perinatal Information Center Board of Directors, 1988-1991

Perinatal Research Society, 1989-

Society for Gynecologic Investigation, 1989-

Council of University Chairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1991-

American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society, 1993-
Fellowship Committee, 1999-
Representative to CREOG Council, 2000-

Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group, West, 1995-

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Examiner, 1995-
Examiner, 1997-

Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Member, 2000-

Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, National Advisory Committee, 2001-present

Funded Research

GRANT SUPPORT

"Collaborative Population-Based Study of Gestational Diabetes"
Centers for Disease Control
Principal Investigator: Donald R. Coustan
Annual Total Costs: $83,000 (Total $249,000)
Period of Support: 1984-1987

"Diabetes in Pregnancy: Effects on the Offspring"
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) P50HD11343
Principal Investigator: W. Oh
Subgrant 3: "Adaptation to Exercise in Pregnancy"
Principal Investigator: Donald R. Coustan
Percent effort: 15%
Annual direct cost: $167,265
Period of Support: 1 Dec 1985 - 30 Nov 1990

"Risk Profile for Women With Gestational Diabetes Who Develop Overt Diabetes"
Centers for Disease Control
Principal Investigator: Donald R. Coustan
Percent Effort: 10%
Total cost: $398,223
Period of Support: 1 Oct 1988 - 30 Sept 1990

"Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes"
NICHD 1R01 HD34243-01A2
Principal Investigator: Boyd Metzger, MD (Northwestern University)
Regional Director for North America: Donald R. Coustan, MD
Total Cost: first year $866,000
Period of Support: 4 May 1999 - 31 March 2004

"Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health"
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 1K12 HD043447-01
Principal Investigator: Donald R. Coustan, MD
Total Cost: $2,498,224
Period of Support: 1 Oct 2002 - 30 Sept 2007

"Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Center"
NIH 1K12 HD50108-01
Principal Investigator: Donald R. Coustan, MD (5% effort)
Interim Program Director: Donald R. Coustan, MD (10%)
Total Cost: $1,999,604
Period of Support: 30 Sept 2005 – 31 March 2010

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