Our 2025 Letter: Debbie and Bruce Crystal
The Iris Fund, which has become the leading private funder of basic science research related to preterm birth, has made strategic and targeted investments to bring innovative research to the point of market readiness.
Outside of the lab, The Iris Fund is committed to ensuring that mothers always have a seat at the table where patient care and advocacy is discussed and more people than ever learn about and take action to end preterm birth.
An investment in The Iris Fund is an investment in the future that every preterm baby deserves. The return on that investment is the development of the equipment and knowledge doctors need to better support pregnant women and babies at risk of preterm birth. This is the world we want to live in – a world of scientific progress, patient-centered care and happy, healthy families.
In light of this urgent moment, Debbie and I are MATCHING ALL DONATIONS this year UP to $35,000 – we hope you will help us make this a landmark year for a landmark cause.
A Digital Twin
The Iris Fund is providing the funding to connect critical partners. Dr. Kristin Myers and The Myers Soft Tissue Lab at Columbia University have made great strides in the development of a 3-D digital twin of a woman’s uterus and cervix, helping to better understand how a woman’s body changes in pregnancy. Dr. Ivan Rosado-Mendez of the Quantitative Ultrasound Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studies the structure of cervical tissue through physics, examining how light and sound waves visible through an ultrasound machine can help us understand the makeup of the cervix.
GE Partnership
Over the past several decades, private industry has become increasingly reliant on academia for the kind of research and development that powers innovation. Now is the moment for philanthropy and business to leverage progress in preterm birth research to have real-world impact.
Our Impact
The Iris Fund supports basic science and innovation research labs to reduce the incidence of preterm birth and stillbirth and supports the US Pregnancy After Loss (USPAL) Network, which will change the trajectory of patient care by deploying best practice trainings, aligning clinical protocols and embracing data-sharing to drive improved outcomes.
Making Connections
Our daughter Brittney, Founder & Executive Director of The Iris Fund, speaking to guests about how the organization drives research, clinical care and advocacy to ensure that the mother’s experience informs every step as we work to reduce the incidence of prematurity and stillbirth at scale.
Team Iris
This year, members of Team Iris participated in more endurance events than ever before - including L’Etape du Tour de France, the Sydney Marathon and of course the New York City Marathon. We also introduced the first-ever Iris Fund 5k in the Ridgefield, CT Road Fest.
The Crystal-Aleman Family at The Iris Fund’s pre-marathon brunch (from left: Bruce, Debbie, Morgan, Lindsey, Brittney & Jose)