VCU launches women's health research core

A new initiative geared toward collaborative research in women’s health and gender differences is bringing together Virginia Commonwealth University faculty and student researchers from both VCU campuses and virtually all schools and departments.

The Women’s Health Research Core, which was established by Francis L. Macrina, Ph.D., vice president for research at VCU, links investigators with common interests and sets the stage for joint projects across disciplines. Furthermore, it assists VCU researchers in identifying funding opportunities and developing competitive grant applications.

“VCU faculty are working overtime to conduct, publish and present their research, as well as to train the next generation of scientists,” Macrina said. “Through this initiative, we hope to provide assistance with obtaining grant awards, and offering support through a multidisciplinary theme such as women’s health is the right way to start.”

The Women’s Health Research Core was developed in recognition of the high caliber of women’s health research, education, care and teaching taking place at VCU. It also provides institutional support for the VCU Institute for Women’s Health, which was designated a National Center of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2003.

“I am proud of VCU’s national reputation of excellence in women’s health care and research, and I wholeheartedly support Dr. Macrina’s plan to further expand our success in this field,” said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D.

The Women’s Health Research Core also offers quarterly proposal-writing workshops to researchers where grants of all types - not just those related to women’s health – are reviewed and critiqued.

In addition, researchers can join the Women’s Health Research Listserv, another tool that has already brought researchers together. This forum provides information on funding opportunities, collaboration opportunities and research news and events at VCU.

“The Women’s Health Research Core represents an unparalleled level of institutional commitment to women’s health at VCU,” said Susan G. Kornstein, M.D., executive director of the VCU Institute for Women’s Health. “We are thrilled that Dr. Macrina has chosen this interdisciplinary area to support through his office.”

The Women’s Health Research Core will be directed by Michelle L. Kienholz, who has worked with the VCU Office of Research and the Institute for Women’s Health since 2001.

The VCU Institute for Women’s Health was established by the Board of Visitors in 1999 to promote standards of excellence in women’s health care, to advance cutting-edge research, to foster community outreach and collaboration, to enhance women’s leadership and to provide training and education toward the goal of improving the health of women. The VCU Institute for Women’s Health is one of only 20 nationally recognized Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health in the United States.

For more information:

To subscribe to the Women’s Health Research Listserv send text “SUBSCRIBE WHRESEARCH-L” in e-mail message body to listserv@lists.vcu.edu.

To learn more about the services offered by the Women’s Health Research Core visit: http://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/whrsc.htm

To learn more about upcoming proposal-writing workshops and other online resources visit: http://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/grantwriting.htm

To learn more about the VCU Institute on Women’s Health visit: http://www.womenshealth.vcu.edu.