News
Elisha Wachman
Professor of Pediatrics
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine - Pediatrics, Neonatology
Research Areas
Substance use disorders in pregnancy and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome
Why Women's Health?
I enjoy studying ways to improve the outcomes of individuals with substance use disorders in pregnancy and their infants through more family-centered evidenced-based approaches.
Kim McCall
Professor
- Arts & Sciences - Biology
Research Areas
Why Women's Health?
Health issues in women have been understudied. My lab is interested in the control of cell death in the ovary, an important issue in disease and development.
David Waxman
Professor
- Arts & Sciences - Biology
Research Areas
Liver sex differences
Why Women's Health?
We study molecular mechanisms regulating sex differences in liver metabolism at the level of the genome, epigenome and transcriptome, and their effects on sex differences in liver disease.
Kathleen Kantak
Professor Emerita
- Arts & Sciences - Psychological and Brain Sciences
Research Areas
Addiction Science
Why Women's Health?
I have worked in the SUDs field from a preclinical perspective at BU since the early 1980's. Most of my research was conducted in male subjects, but over the past 7-8 years, I turned my attention to understanding sex differences. I primarily worked with cocaine and was stuck by how females engaged in more drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior than males and typically were less responsive than males to experimental treatments for their cocaine dependence. Molecular changes in the brains of females also were impacted differently than males to cocaine and the experimental treatments. I believe that focused research efforts are critically needed to advance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SUDs in women. As I am retired and no longer have a lab, I see my role as advisory. Over the years, I have been involved in studies with various clinical investigators to translate some of my preclinical findings in rats to human subjects. I am interested in advising clinical researchers keen on translating ideas from preclinical SUD research, as well as in advising preclinical researchers interested in back-translation of ideas from clinical SUD research.
Catharine Wang
Professor
- School of Public Health - Community Health Sciences
Research Areas
Cancer Prevention and Control, Genetics/Precision Medicine, Healthcare Delivery, Intervention/Implementation Science, Community Engagement
Why Women's Health?
To address well-documented disparities in cancer care access for women of color.
Benjamin Wolozin
Professor
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine - Anatomy & Neurobiology
Research Areas
Neurodegeneration
Why Women's Health?
Women constitute half of the population and their health is understudied. Obviously important!
Vickery Trinkaus-Randall
Professor
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine - Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Research Areas
wound healing
Why Women's Health?
Women's health cancers, diseases are understudied and or present differently. Even dry eye has a different prevalence.
Robin Ingalls
Professor
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine - Infectious Diseases
Research Areas
Sexually Transmitted Infections, Reproductive Immunology, Innate Immunity
Why Women's Health?
My entire career has been focused on understanding the effects of bacterial STIs on women's reproductive health, modeling chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in vitro using novel human cell/tissue models, as well as in vivo using mouse models.
Bob Varelas
Professor
- Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine - Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Research Areas
Mechanotransduction and epithelial biology
Why Women's Health?
Our group has been collaborating with Dr. Wendy Kuohung, Dr. Robin Ingalls and Dr. Joyce Wong to study molecular events that contribute to infertility. As part of these studies we have been investigating sexually transmitted infection induced damage to fallopian tube epithelium, with the goal of understanding defective regenerative responses and signals that are linked to infertility.
Traci Hong
Professor
- College of Communication - Media Science
Research Areas
Health communications
Why Women's Health?
When I was BIRCWH scholar my focus was on maternal child health, so I've long believed that the health choices made by women permeate to her family and offsprings, having lasting impact on subsequent generations for both men and women. Whether it is vaccine uptake, cardiovascular health, tobacco use, or other health behaviors, the focus on women can have profound impact.