General Information

Four KU Medical Center Scholars Honored for Women's Health Research


Feb 10, 2006

Four scholars at the University of Kansas Medical Center have been selected to receive funding from the BIRCWH (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health) K12 Program to further research that benefits women's health.

The BIRCWH program promotes the career development of independent researchers working on women's health issues by pairing scholars with senior investigators in a mentored, interdisciplinary scientific environment. BIRCWH is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health, which recently awarded the Medical Center a 5-year grant worth nearly $2.5 million. KUMC is one of 24 such centers nationally and one of 11 universities in nine states to receive grant awards in 2005.

The four scholars selected in this round of funding, their mentors and projects are:
  • Andrea Charbonneau, MD, assistant professor, Division of General and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine. Her mentor is Debra Sullivan, PhD, chair, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, School of Allied Health. Her project title: Weight Control Practices Among Women in Rural Kansas.
  • Nicole L. Nollen, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine. Her mentor is Susan E. Carlson, PhD, professor, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, School of Allied Health. Her project title: A Technology Delivered Intervention to Promote Healthy Habits and Prevent Weight Gain Among Rural Adolescents.
  • Grace Liejun Guo, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine. Her mentor is Yvonne Wan, PhD, professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine. Her project title: The Role of Farnesoid X Receptor in Cholestasis and Atherosclerosis.
  • Karen E. Kuphal, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Allied Health. Her mentor is Peter G. Smith, PhD, professor, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and director, Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, School of Medicine. Her project title: The Effect of Exercise on Hypersensitivity Between Males and Females in the Setting of Neuropathic Pain.

"It's an exciting opportunity for KUMC to bolster women's health research," said Patricia A. Thomas, MD, principal investigator for the grant. Thomas is professor and chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and associate dean for the Office of Cultural Enhancement and Diversity.

"The program provides funds to promote junior faculty development across all dimensions of research related to women's health, as well as the partnership and participation of clinical and basic scientists from all schools on the KUMC campus."

Faculty from the Schools of Medicine, Allied Health, Nursing and Pharmacy are eligible to apply for funding under this program.

"This type of funding has led to important advances in the field of women's health," said Barbara Atkinson, MD, KUMC executive vice chancellor and executive dean of the School of Medicine. "It will help ensure KUMC's success in nurturing and developing the next generation of qualified researchers that will build upon today's research advances in women's health."

A newly established Women's Health Research Initiative on the KUMC campus provides the administrative umbrella for implementing the BIRCWH program and links five research centers or institutes involved with research related to women's health. They are the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute, the Institute of Maternal-Fetal Biology, the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, the Center for Reproductive Sciences and the Landon Center on Aging.

The University of Kansas Medical Center prepares students for leadership roles in today's dynamic health care environment in Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health. The Medical Center offers more than 2,500 students an innovative curriculum and patient centered clinical training in partnership with the University of Kansas Hospital. A leader in biomedical research, the KU Medical Center is a key partner in the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute.
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