BIRCWH 2007

BUILDING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CAREERS

IN WOMEN'S HEALTH (BIRCWH 2007)

The Office of Research on Women's Health, along with nine NIH Institutes
and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, supports fifteen new
or renewed programs, listed below, for developing faculty Scholars in
interdisciplinary women's health research. Sites recruit their own
Scholars. For specific information, contact the Program Director listed.

Colorado Illinois Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota North
Carolina Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Virginia Wisconsin

**Colorado**

**University of Colorado, Denver** (no BIRCWH website)

The broad objective of the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers
in Women\'s Health (BIRCWH) Program at the University of Colorado at
Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) is to develop and increase
the pool of highly-qualified young scientists and
clinician-investigators pursuing independent interdisciplinary
scientific careers in women\'s health. The BIRCWH grant at UCDHSC
focuses on three interrelated areas affecting women\'s health across the
life span from preconception to aging! These areas are: (1) Pregnancy,
fetal programming, and lactation, (2) Aging, cardiovascular (CV)
disease, diabetes and obesity and (3) Women\'s cancers. These are fields
in which the UCDHSC has strong interdisciplinary research programs,
extending from molecular research into the basic mechanisms of disease
through clinical studies to epidemiological analyses of etiology and
outcomes.

**Illinois**

[**Northwestern University**](http://nubircwhonline.com/index.cfm)

The a BIRCWH Program at Northwestern University will be used to develop
a group of independent, tenure track scientists with backgrounds in
clinical medicine or basic science disciplines whose research will
address high priority areas relevant to women\'s health. We have
identified five focus areas that have been historically strong within
Northwestern and that are fundamental to the understanding and treatment
of women\'s health and disease - differences in cardiovascular disease
risk; ovarian biology; obstetrical and gynecological disorders; sex
differences in sleep and rheumatology and osteoporosis. In order to
develop expertise outside the Ob/Gyn specialty, faculty members who have
interdisciplinary training in basic reproductive science and
gender-specific disease research must be cultivated. Northwestern has a
longstanding and rich tradition of interdisciplinary excellence in the
reproductive sciences and in disorders that affect women.

**[University of Illinois,
Chicago](http://www.uic.edu/orgs/womenshealth/bircwh.htm)**

The University of Illinois at Chicago\'s (UIC) BIRCWH program is a
collaborative effort between the UlC\'s National Center of Excellence in
Women\'s Health (CoE) and its six health colleges, including the
colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Applied Health
Sciences, and the School of Public Health. The overall purpose of this
BIRCWH program is to institutionalize a generative scholar training
program that will optimize the success of junior faculty in developing a
substantive and sustained research program in women\'s health science.
The program will contribute substantially to the development of a
diverse multidisciplinary basic science, clinical, and community
research work force through the interdisciplinary training, mentorship,
and career development of junior investigators. These investigators will
accelerate the translation of research findings into evidence-based
policies and practices that improve the health of women and girls in the
U.S. A diverse group of scholars are selected who focus on research in
one of five areas in which UIC has particular strengths: reproductive
health, midlife and aging, cancer in women, heart disease in women, and
underserved populations. These areas encompass health and illness issues
which are unique to women, more prevalent in women, or are different in
women than in men. Health disparities are an underlying theme in much of
the research on women\'s health, regardless of level of analysis,
reflecting the diverse urban environment in which UIC is situated.
UlC\'s conceptual approach to women\'s health and to research about
women\'s health is to view women\'s health in terms of life stages and
on a continuum. Work in women\'s health ranges from the molecular and
cellular level to the community level; these levels are inter-related.

**Louisiana**

[**Tulane
University**](http://www.sph.tulane.edu/womenshealth/BIRCWH.htm)

The Tulane BIRCWH program is dedicated to promoting research and the
transfer of findings to promote Women\'s Health by promoting research
independence among junior researchers. In order to improve the quality
and increase the quantity of Women\'s Health research, Tulane BIRCWH
proposes to bridge the period between advanced training and research
independence, as well as link professions, scientific disciplines, and
areas of interest for selected scholars. The common theme running
through out the various research areas is interdisciplinary research on
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and renal disease. The long-term
objectives of the Tulane BIRCWH Program are to increase the number of
skilled, independent interdisciplinary investigators with a focus on
sex, gender and Women\'s Health research; promote, through the BIRCWH
Program\'s illustration, the awareness of the need to ensure a strong
pipeline when fostering independent researchers and the advantage of
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary clinical and translational
research efforts; promote collaborations with traditionally non-research
focused entities; establish institutional and individual renown both
nationally and internationally for the BIRCWH Program\'s findings on CVD
and Women\'s Health and improve the cardiovascular health of Louisiana
women across the lifespan, particularly African American women, by
effectively training the next generation of conscientious, culturally
competent and independent academic Women\'s Health researchers.

**Maryland**

[**University of Maryland,
Baltimore**](http://www.umaryland.edu/womenshealth/BIRCWH IV/index)

The University of Maryland\'s BIRCWH Program will continue our already
highly successful program that was designed to foster interdisciplinary
research in women\'s health among junior faculty Scholars working
together with a team of senior faculty mentors to bridge the gap between
specialized training and independent research careers. To achieve this
goal, we have refined and adapted our current program to provide
Scholars with in-depth career development training in three focused and
interactive research theme areas: 1) Women\'s Health and the Brain; 2)
The Aging Woman; and 3) Conditions Specific to Women. These theme areas
build on existing strengths in research at UMB and are fertile ground
for interdisciplinary basic science, translational, behavioral,
clinical, epidemiological, and/or health services research. They are an
extension of the theme areas offered in our current program allowing
many of those mentors from the current program to participate and to
allowing former Scholars opportunities to serve on mentor teams as
coaches providing a support network for new Scholars. An important
strength of our BIRCWH Program is that Scholars are able to draw from a
multidisciplinary pool of senior faculty mentors for their mentor teams,
but also to engage in research that is truly interdisciplinary. For
example, a Scholar could access expertise in genetics, epidemiology and
neurology to conduct clinical research on central nervous system
contributions to the menopausal transition. Our former and current
Scholars all have benefited immensely from our rich research environment
and frequently cite the interdisciplinary nature of their training
experience as an extraordinary advantage to their research.

**Massachusetts**

[**Boston Medical
Center**](http://www.bmc.org/womenshealth/bircwh_research.html)

The Boston University (BU) Building Interdisciplinary Research Programs
in Women\'s Health (BIRCWH) has demonstrated the ability to expand
women\'s health research, and the number of excellent investigators in
women\'s health. The BU BIRCWH will build upon the strengths of our
existing program to recruit, select and train junior faculty in
conducting clinical and health services research on women\'s health
issues. The focus of research training and research will be addressing
the needs of underserved, minority and elderly women. The long-term
goals of the BU BIRCWH are to mentor an identified cadre of outstanding
scholars and to provide them with the support and training needed for
them to develop independent research careers in women\'s health. The BU
BIRCWH will train selected clinician investigators in health services
research, clinical research and clinical epidemiology to address a focus
of important questions in the care of women:

-   Prevention research, with focus on behavioral, cultural and health
    service delivery influences on risk and lifestyle change, in
    addressing the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
    diabetes.

-   Health services outcomes and effectiveness, especially investigating
    outcomes in ethnic and racial minority communities.

-   Addiction medicine, with particular focus on adverse outcomes of
    alcoholism, and interactions of gender, violence and HIV.

-   Issues of aging women, including the prevention of functional
    decline, diabetes and cardiovascular disease management, and cancer
    outcomes.

    **Minnesota**

    [**University of Minnesota, Twin
    Cities**](http://www.wmhealth.umn.edu/wmhlth/bircwh.html)

Three aspects of the University of Minnesota make it a unique
environment for a BIRCWH program: 1) Based on substantial empirical
research by one of our faculty members, we have developed a
comprehensive model of mentoring that systematizes the vagaries of the
interdisciplinary mentoring process. 2) With our six health science
schools and other health-related departments, we have an extremely
diverse institution. This diversity of disciplines reveals itself in our
mentors, our course offerings, and the scholars themselves. There are
few universities that can offer such a wide range of career development
opportunities. 3) The University of Minnesota is a leader in women\'s
health. Based on the work of the Deborah E. Powell Center of Excellence
in Women\'s Health, we have a strategic plan related to women\'s health
research, the goals of which are to: 1) build academic capacity; 2)
increase interdisciplinary collaboration; 3) increase funding
opportunities; and 4) increase the visibility of women\'s health
research

**North Carolina**

[**Duke
University**](http://medschool.duke.edu/modules/som_fac_dev/index.php?id=5)

The Duke/North Carolina Central University (NCCU) BIRCWH Program is
designed to develop highly skilled researchers investigating women\'s
health issues, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship.
The overarching theme for the Duke/NCCU Program will be women\'s health
across the life-span, with areas of research interest that include
maternal consequences of childbearing conditions that affect women, and
health care utilization and disparities. A group of experienced core
mentors will support the Scholars, and a distinguished Advisory
Committee will provide oversight as well as regular evaluations of the
Program and Scholar progress. The collaboration between Duke and NCCU, a
Historically Black University, will strengthen our goal of training
minority scholars. The Duke/NCCU BIRCWH Program is relevant to public
health because it trains researchers whose work will lead to improved
treatments for a wide range of conditions affecting women.

**Oregon**

**[Oregon Health & Science
University](http://www.ohsu.edu/obgyn/news/bircwh.htm)**

The goal of the Oregon BIRCWH program is to create a stimulating and
nurturing environment for junior faculty to develop into leading
Physician Scientists in Women\'s Health. Our program recognizes that
research can modify the course of disease at one point in a woman\'s
lifespan which will affect the rest of lifelong development and aging.
The program pairs basic and clinical junior faculty scientists with
established mentors from different backgrounds who have expertise in
Women\'s Health Issues in order to enhance the scholar\'s research
capabilities. The mix of career paths and backgrounds is integral to
increasing collaboration and invigorating research in Women\'s Health
across the lifespan. The extensive intellectual and research resources
at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) are available and
committed to developing BIRCWH scholars. Integration is
interdepartmental and is Center driven to enhance collaborations between
scientists and trainees in the Center for Women\'s Health, the Heart
Research Center, the Primate Research Center, the Cancer Institute, and
the Center for Gender Biology and Medicine. Sophisticated research core
laboratories specializing in Molecular Biology, Cell Culture, DNA
analysis, Imaging, Statistics, Assisted Reproductive Techniques,
Endocrine Assays, Laboratory Animal, Transgenic and Molecular Genetics
Cores, among others, are established and available to the BIRCWH
Scholars. Advanced training in designing clinical studies and
statistical evaluation for clinician scientists will be coordinated
through the highly successful Human Investigations Program. Writing
skills are enhanced through structured workshops.

Pennsylvania

[**Magee Women's Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical
Center**](http://bircwh.pitt.edu/default.asp)

The BIRCWH program at the University of Pittsburgh seeks to improve
women\'s health research at the University of Pittsburgh with several
strategies. The first has been to provide excellent interdisciplinary
research training in women\'s health to as many beginning investigators
as possible. Scholars funded by the program are encouraged by to obtain
alternative K funding and when successful to continue to participate in
the BIRCWH career development program. The program has publicized the
availability of components of the BIRCWH program to other beginning
investigators. In addition, we have recruited many of the research
leaders of the University of Pittsburgh to become actively involved in
the program through membership in the Advisory Committee. The training
program emphasizes interdisciplinary research and exposure to this
strategy is provided through projects but also by selecting a group of
scholars with diverse research interests and approaches and encouraging
their interaction.

[**Pennsylvania State
University**](http://www.psu.edu/dept/bircwh/index.html)

The goal of the BIRCWH program at Pennsylvania State University is to
increase the number and skills of investigators in women's health
through a mentored research and career development experience leading to
an independent interdisciplinary scientific career that will benefit the
health of women. The expanding research agenda in women's health is
informed by multiple scientific disciplines, including the biological,
physical, and social sciences. Research integrating knowledge from
multiple perspectives is needed to advance the field of women's health
and to improve women's health and health services. The interdisciplinary
research conducted by BIRCWH scholars may be basic, translational,
behavioral, clinical, and/or health services research relevant to
women's health or to sex/gender factors related to health. At Penn
State, 21 senior faculty mentors have been identified in four core
research areas: (1) Precursors and Consequences of Obesity, (2)
Reproductive Health, (3) Sex and Gender Issues in Health and Disease,
and (4) Cancer Prevention, Screening and Treatment.

**South Carolina**

**[Medical University of South
Carolina](http://www.musc.edu/psychiatry/research/cns/Womens Research Center/About BIRCWH)**

The overall objective of the MUSC BIRCWH Program Is to promote the
performance of research in women\'s health by bridging advanced training
with research independence. The Interdisciplinary Women\'s Health
Research program at MUSC will encourage interdisciplinary study of
differences between women and men that impact the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of disease in two major focus areas - Aging and Mental
Health. The convergence at MUSC of substantial expertise in these two
critical areas assures our ability to mentor junior faculty to study
women\'s health issues across the lifespan. Our faculty mentors have a
broad skills basis in both aging and mental health, especially
pertaining to dementia, substance use disorders, PTSD, and depression.
In addition, we have specific expertise in the study of gender
differences in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics.

**Tennessee**

[**Vanderbilt
University**](http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/root/vumc.php?site=BUILDINGINTERDISCIPLINARYRESEARCHCARE&doc=8063)

The Vanderbilt BIRCWH program has supported the career development of
Scholars engaged in basic, translational and epidemiological Women\'s
Health Research in collaboration with investigators from among 15
departments or centers within Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College and
other institutions. At the same time, the BIRCWH has served as a
catalyst for recruitment and growth in the area of Women\'s Health
Research at Vanderbilt and for collaboration between Vanderbilt and
Meharry Medical College. During the next five years, the BIRCWH program
will focus on developing outstanding investigators in 6 major areas of
Women\'s Health Research: Cardiovascular Risk and Gender, Clinical
Pharmacology and Vaccine Development, Disparities and Health Outcomes,
Endometrial Biology and Reproductive Toxicology, Neoplasia and Cancer,
Neuroscience and Behavioral Health. We strive to create a new generation
of creative, successful leaders in scientific areas that will improve
the health of women.

**Virginia**

[**Virginia Commonwealth
University**](http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/bircwh/)

The VCU BIRCWH program enjoys superb leadership from its PI (School of
Medicine dean) and its Program Co- Directors, both highly successful
female faculty (one basic scientist, one physician scientist). The
BIRCWH program intersects with several interdisciplinary matrix
organizations, such as the Institute for Women\'s Health National Center
of Excellence, Center for Health Disparities, and Center for
Translational and Clinical Science. VCU BIRCWH scholars will have the
opportunity to investigate the pathogenesis and develop preventive and
therapeutic interventions for pre-eclampsia, polycystic ovary syndrome,
perinatal depression, preterm birth, low birth weight, vaginal
bacteriosis, breast and ovarian cancer, and substance abuse. Scholars
will learn innovative methods of conducting community-based health
research, statistical analyses focused on distinguishing sex and gender
differences in data, and culturally competent research methodology.
Scholars will be required to integrate training experiences in clinical
and laboratory settings and community outreach. All scholars will attend
group monthly lunch brainstorming sessions at which they will make
informal presentations on their research and solicit advice and
assistance.

**Wisconsin**

[**University of Wisconsin,
Madison**](http://www.womenshealth.wisc.edu/professional/training/trainingprograms.html)

The goals of the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women\'s
Health Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin (UW) are 1) to
increase the diversity of academic leaders in the field of Women\'s
Health (WH) and 2) to promote interdisciplinary research that addresses
disparities in health status and health outcomes among diverse
populations of women throughout the life span, and chronic disease
prevention. We will accomplish these goals by selecting diverse and
talented applicants and providing them with dual scientific mentorship
with established investigators in both biomedical and behavioral/social
sciences; a rigorous 2-3 year didactic curriculum (biostatistics and
study design, ethics, leadership/management, presentation and teaching,
and scientific writing); and individual guidance in a safe environment
that values cultural diversity. We believe that integrating biomedical
sciences, public health sciences, and socio-cultural and behavioral
sciences is prerequisite to addressing the linkages of macro-societal
levels of being with pathogenesis of disease, so important in addressing
health disparities. Thus, the UW BIRCWH provides interdisciplinary and
multifaceted opportunities for research that includes not only
biomedical and behavioral sciences, but also investigation into quality
of care, cost, access and satisfaction with services; causes of and
barriers to reducing health disparities; social context; and
identification of assessment measures for outcomes. To address not only
the broad array of research areas outlined above but also the
interdisciplinary nature of the possible candidates, the faculty is
interdisciplinary and consists of physician scientists, perinatal
researchers, sociologists, nurse scientists, nutritional scientists,
epidemiologists and economists. The outstanding research mentors
selected for the BIRCWH are enthusiastic about the opportunity to mentor
more advanced Scholars through the BIRCWH.