Geraldine Ferraro was the keynote speaker at "Conference 2000: Factoring in Gender."

Conference focused on women's health

Former U.S. vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, delivering the keynote address at the "Conference 2000: Factoring in Gender," said despite increased research into medical issues concerning women, much work remains to be done. Ferraro, in an address at the New Haven Lawn Club on Sept. 22, described the Women's Health Research at Yale program at the School of Medicine as the largest interdisciplinary women's health research program in the country. "But it takes more than one school to push the field forward," she said. "It takes a village. You are part of that village. And it takes more than hope to sustain excellence. It takes money, and it takes people too." Women, as a group, have historically been excluded as subjects in research studies, notes Carolyn Mazure, director of the Women's Health Research at Yale program and a professor of psychiatry. This exclusion has resulted in major areas of women's health being unexplored and has left health care providers without sex-specific data on response to treatment and prevention strategies, she says. "The exciting news is that science is stepping forward, challenging prior assumptions, and finding that women and men do have different risk factors for a variety of diseases," says Mazure. "Science is also finding that response to a given treatment can differ for women and men, that conditions unique to women -- such as ovarian cancer and menopause -- or disorders more prevalent in women -- such as breast cancer and depression -- need even more of our attention, and prevention initiatives may need to be sex-specific in order to keep us healthy." The Yale program, she notes, is committed to broadening knowledge about diseases unique to women, such as endometriosis, ovarian cancer and postpartum disorders; diseases prevalent in women, such as breast cancer, osteoporosis and depression; and diseases appearing differently in women and men, such as heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. Mazure notes that two years ago the Women's Health Research initiative established a special grant-making program, The Ethel F. Donaghue Women's Health Investigator Program at Yale, with a long-term investment from The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation. The unique partnership between science and philanthropy has proven to be a highly effective mechanism for encouraging new research initiatives in women's health, she says, adding it has helped to advance research activity in women's health, increase communication and collaboration across medical disciplines, facilitate the enrollment of women in clinical trials and enhance research of benefit to women. "Conference 2000: Factoring in Gender" featured individual sessions directed by Donaghue Program-funded investigators at Yale who are conducting promising studies of benefit to women. They included Dr. Viola Vaccarino, Dr. Aydin Arici, Dr. Bruce G. Haffty, Peter Salovey, Dr. Karl L. Insogna, Mark J. Mamula, Dr. Harvey Kliman, Dr. Sally E. Shaywitz, Marina Picciotto, Dr. Dan A. Oren, Priscilla S. Dannies and Dr. Setsuko K. Chambers. T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Stanford's ex-president named successor trustee of Corporation Yale to help build database for nurses on World Wide Web 'Greening of America' author to present lecture series Renowned Russian dissident to read poetry, screen film as Chubb Fellow Noted New York law firm donates historical records ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS Adela Collins named Buckingham Professor John Collins named Holmes Professor 'Love and Loss' recalls popularity of portrait miniatures Reading, song recital pay tribute to Longfellow MEDICAL CENTER NEWS Study: Stress can expand waistlines of otherwise thin women Test results don't reveal whole picture of patients' needs, says cardiologist Conference focused on women's health American Academy of Nursing elects YSN's Funk as fellow Event celebrates multi-faceted achievements of John Dryden Symposium explores past and future of medical ethics CONCERTS ON CAMPUS U.S. Air Force Band's mission is to entertain Jazz trumpeter will perform and teach Music series kicks off with famed Chinese pianist Hartman elected to prestigious British Academy 'Gilder Lehrman Center awards second Frederick Douglass Prize MEMORIAL SERVICES Mary T. Reynolds, expert on James Joyce, . . . dies E. Robert Beringer E. Turan Onat ASCAP honors five faculty from School of Music Figure Skating Club begins fall program at Ingalls Rink Yale Scoreboard In the News Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus| Calendar of Events|Bulletin Board Classified Ads|Search Archives|Production Schedule|Bulletin Staff Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page