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Center of Excellence in Women's Health
Research
The Program in Research on Women's Health
The Program in Research on Women's Health at Boston Medical Center was launched in 1993
by Drs. Marianne N. Prout and Gail E. Sonenshein. The goal was to promote interdisciplinary
research on women's health at the medical campus by bringing bench scientists, clinical
investigators and public health researchers together to determine collaborative research
directions and helping to obtain funds for the research. Some of the key achievements were:
The development of a monthly interdisciplinary seminar series. The concept was to focus on a
particular disease each month and have speakers from each of the three different disciplines.
Various members of the campus came together and sometimes met there for the first time.
Seminars were held in the areas of breast cancer, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, arthritis and autoimmunity, bone health, etc. The seminar series, which is still
ongoing, has helped lead to the development of the obesity center here, spawned many
interdisciplinary grants, and provided CME credits for continuing education.
The development of working groups in areas of substantial interest, including the Breast
Cancer Working Group, which still meets and includes members from the School of Public
Health, the Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and from the Departments of Biochemistry,
Geriatrics, Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pathology Laboratory Medicine,
Surgical Oncology, and the Cancer Center in the School of Medicine. Members of the Breast
Cancer Working Group have received multiple research and training grants from the Department
of Army and Susan Komen Foundation, and RO1's and a Program Project grant on Signaling in
Breast Carcinogenesis from the NIH.
Awarding of a National Center of Excellence on Women's Health to Boston University by the
DHHS in 1997. Dr. Karen Freund heads the CoE with Drs. Prout and Sonenshein serving as Co
Associate Directors. The goals of the CoE include expanding the research base in women's
health, providing training at all levels, and addressing community needs through outreach,
research and clinical care. The CoE funding has supported faculty in three schools, nine
departments in the School of Medicine and BU faculty at the VA. Four junior faculty members
received their first independent funding through the Co E.
Selection for one of twenty K12 junior faculty-training awards entitled BIRCWH (Building
Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health). Dr. Karen Freund is the Pl. This
5-year award is an interdisciplinary effort including the Schools of Medicine and Public Health
and the Sargent School of Rehabilitation and has provided young investigators in five different
departments with mentored support over 1-2 years to foster their development and ability to obtain
independent research funding.
As a culmination of 10 years of these and other efforts, the Women's Health Interdisciplinary Research Center
(WHIRC) was created at the Boston Medical Campus in February 2005. The Center replaces the Program,
while maintaining and extending its goals. The mission of WHIRCis to promote women's health through
research and training.
Dr. Sonenshein is the Director and Dr. Karen Freund is the Executive Associate Director; Drs. Marianne
Prout and Ann Rothstein are Associate Directors.
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