Cutting-edge research in women's health funded
by first Donaghue grants

The Ethel F. Donaghue Women's Health Investigator Program at the School of Medicine recently announced its first round of grants for studies of women's health. These are the first awards made since the program received a $6.5 million grant from The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation.

"This new and unique research program, which will provide grants yearly to Yale and Yale-affiliated investigators over the next five years, was created to advance women's health research and to develop new cutting-edge areas of investigation that will result in direct practical benefit for women," says Carolyn M. Mazure, professor of psychiatry and director of the research program.

This year's grants will focus on the study of breast and ovarian cancers, lupus, infertility, burning mouth syndrome after menopause, effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system, as well as on treatment options for women athletes, new interventions for teen mothers, the influence of gender on recovery from bypass surgery, and violence in domestic relationships.

Investigators from more than 20 Yale departments submitted more than 80 applications. "This response reflects a growing recognition of the importance of research in women's health, a traditionally understudied area with many unanswered questions," Mazure says. The funded areas of study "begin the process of changing both the health and heath care of women, and represent an exciting cornerstone for our program," she adds.

The 1998 Donaghue Women's Health Investigator Award recipients and their areas of study are:

Dr. Aydin Arici, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who will study how estrogen protects the blood vessel walls from degeneration in women with cardiovascular disease.

Linda M. Bartoshuk, professor of surgery, who will study burning mouth syndrome, an intense oral pain that afflicts about one in six postmenopausal women.

Priscilla S. Dannies, professor of pharmacology, who is seeking ways to improve the survival rate of women suffering from ovarian cancer.

Dr. Marc Galloway, associate professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, who is investigating how to improve the surgical recovery of women athletes who undergo knee surgery.

Dr. Bruce G. Haffty, associate professor of therapeutic radiology, is trying to determine whether women who carry the genetic mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a higher risk of local recurrences in conservatively-treated breast cancer.

Dr. Harvey Kliman, a research scientist in obstetrics and gynecology, who is seeking predictors of successful embryo implantation in infertile couples.

Dr. John M. Leventhal, professor of pediatrics, who is studying whether a volunteer-based, home-visit program can improve the health, social functioning, and parenting of young inner-city mothers.

Mark J. Mamula, associate professor of medicine (rheumatology), who is investigating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an immunologic disease of unknown causes that afflicts primarily women.

Nina S. Stachenfeld, research scientist in the John B. Pierce Laboratory, who is examining the actions of estrogen and progesterone on the systems that regulate body fluid balance.

Suzanne Swan, associate research scientist in the department of psychiatry, who plans to study the conditions under which women use violence in domestic relationships.

Dr. Viola Vaccarino, assistant professor of epidemiology and public health, who will study whether women benefit from coronary bypass surgery to the same extent as men in terms of symptom relief and functional and psychosocial recovery.

These projects are led by Yale investigators with collaborations developed across departments and disciplines, in conjunction with researchers from other major institutions, and with the help of community clinicians. The program is soon to announce its second call for applications during the fall of 1998. Call the program office at 737-1953 or e-mail charleen.bertolini@yale.edu for more information.