Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Research pot

Issue 3 - Spring 2010
Pushing the Boundaries of
Women’s Health Research
With all the media
attention on obesity
these days, it would
be dicult to claim that you are not
aware of the epidemic. Popular TV
shows like “The Biggest Loser,” and
daily evening news features have
certainly made Americans aware
that obesity is on the rise in our
country. You may have seen movies
and television specials addressing
the fault of the food industry, or
websites promising an aordable
at-home tness routine. But with
the focus on what we eat and how
little we exercise, things that many
overweight people nd dicult to
overcome, it might be easy to forget
why obesity is a problem. Many
women think of obesity as primarily
a cosmetic and quality of life issue,
and while it is true that obesity
takes an emotional toll, particularly
in adolescents, it needs to be
recognized that beyond cosmetic
implications, obesity is a serious
medical condition.
What is Obesity?

The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) dene obesity
as a body mass index (BMI) of 30
and above. Body mass index is a
measurement system for indicating
relative health and is calculated
using a person’s height and weight.
Many people are not aware of their
BMI, and while they may admit they
are overweight, they fail to realize
that they are considered medically
obese. Although the CDC uses BMI
as an indicator of health, it may not
be the best indicator for all people.
For instance a man and woman of
the same height and weight may
have very dierent percentages
of fat on their bodies. A more
accurate measurement of body fat
percentage can be taken using a
bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA)
monitor, which uses a small electrical
charge to determine percentage
of fat vs. muscle and water. The
average woman should have 25-
31% body fat, or lower for athletes
and physically t women. Although
measuring body fat directly can give
a good estimation of your health,
recent research has shown that

where your fat is carried can make a
large dierence in your risk of weight-
related health concerns. According
to the NIH, fat carried around the
waist is more indicative of health
problems than fat carried in the hips
and thighs, even if the BMI is within
the normal range. In general a waist
Spotlight on Obesity:
Is it just your weight?
In this issue:
Spotlight on Obesity:
Is it just your weight?
Letter from the
Director

Registry News
Preparing Women’s
Health Leaders to be
Healthy Women
Sex and Gender
Based Research
Clinical Research
New Women’s Cancer
Center, Northwestern
Memorial Hospital
Institute Happenings
continued, Page 3

Although obesity is a

rising problem in the U.S.,
other eating disorders
such as anorexia and
bulimia remain a problem,
particularly for women. See
our online blog for more
information on disordered
eating.
Letter from the Director,
Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D.
Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Women’s Health Research
Thomas J. Watkins Professor of OB/GYN
Chief, Division of Fertility Preservation
Feinberg School of Medicine
L
ast spring, we celebrated the
enactment of the Women’s
Health Ofce Act (WHOA) which
permanently authorized ofces
of women’s health within federal
agencies. This is an important
step to ensure that women’s health
remains a national priority but we
must remain vigilant and continue
advocating for sex-based medicine.
In September, a number of re-
sources have become available that
will serve as a framework for the
next decade of women’s health.

The federal Ofce of Research on
Women’s Health (ORWH) cel-
ebrated its 20th Anniversary on
September 27 and sponsored a Sci-
entic Symposium that included
the release of several major re-
ports. The rst report, Highlights
of NIH Women’s Health and Sex
Differences Research, 1990-2010,
focuses on what the National Insti-
tutes of Health (NIH) identied as
their best examples of research in
women’s health. Another publica-
tion, Moving into the Future with
New Dimensions and Strategies:
A Vision for 2020 for Women’s
Health Research is a compilation
of the scientic workshop proceed-
ings at ve regional meetings
(including one at our own North-
western University) held across the
country during the past two years.
This publication includes scientic
updates as well as public testi-
monies that were presented at the
regional forums. A Strategic Plan
based on the ndings summarized
in these reports was written and
will serve as the guide for the next
decade of women’s health research.

Theses reports can be accessed at
/>The Institute of Medicine also
released a report entitled, Women’s
Health Research: Progress, Pit-
falls, and Promise .
edu/Reports/2010/Womens-Health-
Research-Progress-Pitfalls-and-
Promise.aspx, that was commis-
sioned by the U.S. Congress. The
charge to the IOM committee writ-
ing this report was to examine what
the research on women’s health has
revealed, how the results have been
communicated to the public, and
what are the key gaps.
The week after these reports were
released, I had the privilege of
serving on a distinguished panel
of experts who provided testimony
before the Congressional Caucus
on Women’s Issues on the status of
women’s health. I was asked to
focus my remarks on new technol-
ogies and scientic breakthroughs
that may contribute to healthier
women and therefore a healthier
population.
Technologies like computational
modeling, bioinformatics, nano-
science as well as synthetic and

bio-analytical chemistry hold the
promise of identifying the caus-
ative relationship between cellular
function and disease susceptibility
in a sex-dependent manner. How
do we encourage more studies
on sex and gender basis of health
and disease especially in classical
disciplines such as chemistry, engi-
neering and the physical sciences?
These areas have been responsible
for numerous breakthroughs in bio-
medical research and are essential
for the next revolution in gender-
based research. Research involving
several new technologies include
a revolutionary microscope that is
reaching the kind of resolution that
will allow us to dene how ele-
ments like zinc and copper control
the fate of individual cells.
Emerging technologies and in-
terventional instrumentation can
be developed with an awareness
of sex-differences in their applica-
2 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010
Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 3
measurement greater than 35
inches for women (40 inches for
men) is an excellent indicator of

higher disease risk
1
.
Although both men and women are
susceptible to the negative health
eects of obesity, many women
don’t realize that the prevalence of
obesity is higher in women: 34%
percent of women versus 27.7% of
men are obese. Extreme obesity
is also more common in women
2
.
Black (non-Hispanic) women as
a population have the highest
prevalence of obesity at 50.8%.
Furthermore, 78% of this same
population in the United States
is overweight. The occurrence of
obesity has increased in women
from 26% of the population from
1988-1994 to 34% from 1999-2000
3
.
In Illinois alone, the occurrence of
obesity in all adults has increased
from <10% in 1985 to 26.4% in
2008; leaving Illinois the 22nd most
obese state in the United States
4

.
These statistics are signicant
because a BMI that exceeds 30
increases the risk of death related
to obesity among U.S. women by
50%
3
. Women need to be aware
of their health and make conscious
eorts to integrate healthy habits
into their daily lives and the lives of
their families, particularly as time
becomes short, stress becomes
high and portion sizes continue
to grow in the U.S. Obesity is a
preventable medical condition that
causes a mixture of life-threatening
diseases in women.
Health Risks
In addition to the stress that excess
weight puts on the joints and
bones, there are several health
conditions that are caused by, or
exacerbated by obesity, particularly
in women. Among these conditions
are arthritis, gall bladder disease,
infertility, and birth defects, as
well as the complications that
accompany these disorders.
Perhaps the three most life-

threatening illnesses, however,
that are associated with obesity in
women are cancer, diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease
3
.
CANCER
It may seem surprising that obesity
can increase your risk of cancer.
However, research has indicated
that obese women are at increased
risk of developing breast cancer
after menopause. In addition,
weight gain after menopause may
also increase the risk of breast
cancer
3
. This surprising correlation
may be due to the fact that estrogen
is produced from steroids made
and stored in the fat (adipose)
cells
5
. This higher level of estrogen
in obese women may contribute
to post-menopausal breast cancer
risk. In addition to breast cancer,
women with obesity have three to
four times the risk of endometrial
cancer than women with a lower

BMI
3
. The exact mechanisms as
to how obesity may cause cancer
are not known, but possible
mechanisms include alterations
in sex hormones (as mentioned
above) and in insulin levels in obese
people
6
.
DIABETES
About 90% of type II Diabetes
(also called adult onset diabetes)
is attributable to excess weight
7
.
Many obese individuals have
a condition called metabolic
syndrome, which describes an
individual with any of several
health indicators such as insulin
resistance, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, and/or excess
abdominal fat. This condition is
considered a high risk factor for
both diabetes and cardiovascular
disease. Approximately 197
million people worldwide have
impaired glucose tolerance, most

commonly because of obesity and
metabolic syndrome
7
. In type II
Diabetes, the body is either insulin
resistant (meaning the cells do not
respond to insulin) or the pancreas
does not produce enough insulin,
causing an inability to breakdown
glucose eectively. Although type
II diabetes may be managed with
medication, the complications are
severe and widespread including
cardiovascular disease, nerve
damage, kidney failure, and
amputation (usually from nerve
damage in the feet).
Spotlight on Obesity continued
Calculate your BMI
Weight (lbs) x 703
BMI =
height squared (in
2
)
Underweight 18 or less
Normal 19 - 24
Overweight 25 - 29
Obese 30 - 39
Extreme Obesity 40+
Example: Ms Smith is 5’4”(or 64”) and weighs 125 pounds (lbs).

125 x 703 87875
BMI = = = 21.5
64 x 64 4096
continued on page 4
Obesity
4 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is
a general term used to describe
various diseases and syndromes
of the heart and blood vessels.
Included in the denition are
diseases such as coronary artery
disease, heart arrhythmia, heart
valve disease, heart failure, and
congenital heart defects, among
others. Heart disease is the
number one killer of both men
and women worldwide, making it
perhaps the worst consequence
of obesity and poor health habits.
Obesity increases risk of CVD
through other risk factors such
as high blood pressure, high
cholesterol and high blood sugar
8
.
Obese women need to be aware
of their increased risk of heart
attack, stroke, or death related to

cardiovascular disease. Women
often exhibit atypical symptoms
of CVD, which may make this
condition particularly dicult to
diagnose.
Obesity is an epidemic among
women in the United States. As
the media has shown us the
increase in obesity is likely due to
increased stress, social and career
pressure, increased portion sizes
and poor availability of healthy
food options. The body of
scientic and medical research
on obesity is continuously
growing, with more correlations
and complications being found
each year. For both women and
men, it is important to take these
issues seriously because obesity
is not just about our weight; it is
about our health and our lives.
References:
1. National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Weight and Waist Measurement: Tools
for Adults. (November 2008). http://
win.niddk.nih.gov/Publications/
tools.htm#circumf
2. American Obesity Association. AOA

Fact Sheets: Obesity in the U.S.
(2005). Accessed April 8, 2010. http://
obesity1.tempdomainname.com/
subs/fastfacts/obesity_US.shtml
3. American Obesity Association. AOA
Fact Sheets: Women and Obesity.
(2005). Accessed April 8, 2010. http://
obesity1.tempdomainname.com/
subs/fastfacts/obesity_women.shtml
4. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. U.S. Obesity Trends.
November 2009. .
gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State
5. Trentham-Dietz et al. Body
Size and Risk of Breast Cancer.
American Journal of Epidemiology.
145(11):1011. (1997).
6. National Cancer Institute. Obesity
and Cancer: Questions and Answers.
(2004). />cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity
7. Hossain et al. Obesity and Diabetes
in the Developing World – A Growing
Challenge. New England Journal of
Medicine. 356:213-215. (2007).
8. Grundy, Scott M. Obesity, Metabolic
Syndrome, and Cardiovascular
Disease. Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and Metabolism. 89(6):
2595-2600. (2004).
Spotlight on Obesity continued

Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 5
As the front page article explains, obesity is an epidemic
problem. We as women have the opportunity to turn this
around. We can set good examples for our friends and fam-
ily by taking care of ourselves and sharing information on
how others can change their behavior and outlook on the
serious consequences of obesity. Several of our Registry
questions surround the topic of obesity. Here is how our
women have responded:
1. Women who took version 2 of the survey reported
an average height of 5’4” and an average weight
of 158.7lbs. Using a standard BMI calculator (see
page 3), this means the average BMI of our sample
is 27.2, indicating that as a group we are over-
weight. Women who have reached menopause (age
of 51+) have an average BMI of 27.6. This informa-
tion is not surprising considering the national statis-
tics. Our challenge is to focus on ways we can imple-
ment real healthy lifestyle changes in each of our lives.
2. Sixty-one percent of women are currently trying to lose
weight, but only 33% of participants report being over-
weight or obese. This suggests that women are either not
sure how to classify their weight or some of our women
that report being a little overweight (35%), are trying to do
something about those pesky 5-10 lbs they need to lose.
3. During an average day women are consuming about
3.4 servings of fruits and vegetables (a serving is
equal to ½ cup or a medium piece). The suggest-
ed USDA amount of fruits and vegetables com-
bined is ~4 cups for women 19 years and older.

4. Women are engaging in ~11 hours of moderate activity
and ~3 hours of vigorous activity per week. The good news
is that we are moving, but is it enough? New recommen-
dations suggest 60 minutes of cardiovascular activity
each day and maybe even more important is the num-
ber of calories spent engaging in activity during a week.
5. Six percent of our Registry participants report having a
form of diabetes (10% if we include gestational diabe-
tes), 10% report having high blood pressure, and 22%
report having high cholesterol.
Many of us lead a very busy lifestyle, therefore it is not of-
ten easy to carve out time to plan nutritious meals or exer-
cise enough to offset our daily caloric intake. As women
we should support one another, our family members and
friends in reaching or maintaining a healthy weight to avoid
all the health problems that can result from carrying around
excess baggage.
Take the Challenge!
The Institute for Women’s
Health Research invites
you to take the challenge
and recruit at least
three of your female
friends and relatives in
Illinois to join the Registry. You are our best advocate! Our goal
is to reach 6000 participants by the end of this summer, but in
order to accurately represent women throughout the state, we
need women in all counties, all ages and all health conditions.
The survey will only take 30 minutes of your time, once a year.
Every women counts and will help us to advance women’s health

in Illinois together.

Don’t forget to renew your own survey each year!!!
Illinois Women’s Health Registry News
What the Registry data is telling us:
6 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010
I
n March, twenty-nine high school girls graduated from
the fourth year of the Oncofertility Saturday Academy
(OSA). OSA is one of four programs offered through
the Women’s Health Science Program for High School
Girls and Beyond (whsp.northwestern.edu). Scientists
and clinicians navigated these high school girls through
a total of seven Saturday modules to authentically
experience the translational nature of reproductive
sciences, cancer biology, and oncofertility. Through
these experiences the high school girls are empowered
with scientic knowledge and healthy actions.
The girls’ OSA experience begins at the laboratory
bench. Working alongside scientists, the students
dissect the reproductive anatomy of a female mouse.
Observing an ovary under a microscope, they practice
isolating follicles and identifying the different stages
of follicular development. This is the same procedure
being performed in oncofertility research to develop
fertility preservation methods. From the laboratory,
OSA transitions the girls to the hospital. Walking down
the hospital corridor with surgeons, wearing surgical
scrubs, the girls experience rsthand how basic science research is translated to clinical patient care. Viewing surgical
videos and manipulating the da Vinci surgical robot the girls learn how ovarian tissue is removed from cancer patients

to preserve their fertility. These are two of many OSA real-life learning experiences that provide the girls with relevant
knowledge to better understand and appreciate how their own reproductive system works.
Directors of OSA, Teresa K. Woodruff, PhD, and Megan Faurot, MEd, designed OSA to prepare the girls to be active leaders
in the eld of science and medicine, specically women’s health. In addition to being challenged with advance science
concepts and skills, the program instills in the girls that to be leaders in women’s health they should strive to be healthy
women. Healthy actions embedded into the OSA program consist of nutritious, well-balanced breakfasts and lunches,
prepared by Northwestern Memorial Hospital dietitians, and tness classes.
Every day of OSA the girls’ interact with many women who
are at various stages of their career trajectory. The girls
have the opportunity to meet Northwestern University
undergraduate students who are majoring in science to
meeting Vivian Pinn, MD, Director, Ofce of Research on
Women’s Health, National Institute of Health. Interacting
and building relationships with these women, the girls begin
to actually visualize themselves at the different stages of
their own career trajectory. To date 66 high school girls have
gone through OSA, the program provides each of girls with
ongoing support as they transition to college and beyond to
become the next generation of women leaders in science and
medicine.
Preparing Women’s Health Leaders To Be Healthy Women
OSA students and faculty after nishing a morning lab
session at Northwestern University’s Chicago campus.
OSA students working out with personal trainer
Jocelyn Davis (mitness.com/).
Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Research Spring 2010 7
M
egan is the Director of Education Programs for
the Institute for Women’s Health Research. Her
role in the Institute is to design, deliver and evaluate

education programs for girls and women at all academic
and professional levels to increase their understanding
of women’s health to successfully pursue their career
goals. Prior to joining the Institute, she worked at Young
Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago where
she was the biology teacher and department director.
While working at the secondary education level she
began her efforts to initiate and develop science
partnerships with community outreach organizations
and academic institutions throughout Chicago. Her
experience with building partnerships continues as
she directs the Women’s Health Science Program
for High School Girls and Beyond. This program is
dependent on collaborative efforts with local high
schools and multiple departments and institutions
within Northwestern University and Northwestern
Memorial Hospital.
Megan directs the Women’s Health Research Monthly
Forum offered to the Northwestern community. This
educational program features professionals from
Northwestern University and institutions across the
nation to present authoritative, evidence-based
research that focuses on basic science, clinical
applications, and social implications related to sexual
dimorphisms. Megan is also designing a graduate
level women’s health and leadership program for basic
scientists, clinicians and educators.
Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and
secondary education form Kalamazoo College. She
completed a Master’s degree and is now working

towards her Doctoral degree of Science Education
from Illinois Institute of Technology.
Candace Tingen, PhD: A Prole
Student: Eboni Hunley, Depaul Univ. Freshman
Eboni’s OSA Experience: Eboni participated
in OSA as a high school student in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, as a college freshman, she returned to the
program as an alumni leader to support the 12th
grade participants through the “Oncofertility and
Surgery” module. Due to her continued commitment
and engagement towards the program Eboni was
appointed as the student leader of the OSA student
network that consists of 66 young women today and
will continue to grow each year.
Academic Successes and Goals: Eboni
graduated from Young Women’s Leadership Charter
School in 2009. She received a full-ride scholarship
to attend DePaul University in Chicago and is
studying mathematical sciences and biology. After
earning her undergraduate degree, her goal is to
pursue a doctoral degree in bioengineering from
Northwestern University.
Career Goal: Eboni attributes one of her OSA
experiences as the “moment” when she knew with
condence that she wanted to become a bioengineer.
Her future career trajectory was dened in February
2009 as she worked at the console of the da Vinci
surgical robot with Patrick Lowe, MD, a nationally
recognized expert in robotic surgery for gynecologic
cancer. Eboni wants to design and develop other

innovative instruments to improve health care
services for patients.
Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA)
Student Prole
Paula Stern, Ph.D.
CELLULAR BASIS OF
SEX-SPECIFIC SKELETAL
EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN
AND ANDROGEN
Maintenance of a strong
skeleton in the adult requires
a balance between bone
resorption and formation.
Osteoclast-mediated bone
resorption is essential for removing worn and weakened
bone. Under normal conditions this is followed by
osteoblast-mediated formation of new bone. When
there is an imbalance between these processes with
excessive osteoclast activity, there is bone loss, which
can progress to osteoporosis.
Since estrogen and androgen are both critical for
maintenance of bone, the purpose of Dr. Stern’s study
is to investigate whether there are differences in the
responses of male and female human osteoblast
and osteoclast precursor cells to these hormones
to determine whether they mediate their skeletal
effects differently in the two sexes. Ninety-four bone-
related genes were examined in human osteoblasts.
Preliminary results have indicated that of these, 9
genes were higher in osteoblasts from males and 1

gene was higher in osteoblasts from females, thus 10
genes were expressed differently between the sexes.
Five genes were differentially regulated by estrogen or
androgen in osteoblasts from the two sexes. Ongoing
studies will extend the work to osteoblasts from
additional cell lines and to osteoclast precursor cells
from males and females.
What does this mean? Women have a higher
incidence of osteoporosis. Does this have anything to
do with the fact that men and women produce different
amounts of estrogen and androgen throughout life?
The effects of these two hormones on bone have
not been compared in a comprehensive manner or
compared in bone cells from both sexes. A deeper
understanding of the mechanisms by which these
hormones affect bone cells could identify new targets
for sex-specic therapies.
8 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010
T
here is a lack of funding for sex- and gender-
based research, in addition to a lack of
awareness that conducting sexually dimorphic
studies is critical to advancing knowledge that
can lead to breakthrough discoveries effecting
changes and improvements in clinical care
across every medical discipline. In service of
our mission to increase the sex- and gender-
based research portfolio at Northwestern, the
Institute developed its Pioneer Grants program to
provide investigators with seed funding ($25,000).

Investigators must either currently study or would
like to initiate new research focusing on the sex and
gender determinants of health and disease. We
strive to provide the catalyst that will encourage
the Northwestern community to take the lead in
designing and analyzing experiments based on
sex.
Specically, this program:
• Enables early career investigators to conduct
pilot studies that will help build their portfolio,
thereby enhancing their ability to compete for
large federal grants.
• Permits a senior investigator to explore a new
and innovative research direction.
• Provides a mechanism for senior investigators
to mentor young scientists who are interested
in sex- based research that will support these
young investigators to work in their clinic or lab.
• Advances our knowledge of women’s health
through innovative research and a collaborative
spirit that allows researchers to “think outside
the box”.
Sex and Gender Based
Research
2009/2010 Highlighted Pioneer Award
Recipient

The 2009/2010 Pioneer Award
recipients are moving their research
projects forward. Drs. Martha Gulati

and Franck Mauvais-Jarvis have
presented ndings from their research
projects at national conferences
already this year. We wish all the
recipients continued success!
Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 9
Nancy, age 63, agreed to share her experience
as a Registry member.
How did you hear about the Registry? My
daught
er-in-law.
Why did you decide to enroll? I believe that the
Registry is a very important resource for learning
about women’s health.
How long have you been participating? Two years
plus. (Nancy has taken all 3 versions of the survey)
Do you feel a 30-minute survey is too much to ask
women to complete? Absolutely not—I just updated
my information. It was painless and didn’t feel like it
took very long.
Did any of the Registry questions cause you to
think about your health in a different way or pos-
sibly even follow-up with your doctor about some-
thing in particular? Yes—when I have to answer
questions about my tness, it always spurs me to get
more active.
Is there an area/body system you wish we cov-
ered in more detail? Yes—some of my health issues
“fall through the cracks.” For instance, I have not been
diagnosed with a specic autoimmune disease, but I

have had positive indications in blood tests over the
past 5 to 10 years. There are some places where I
could give some details (i.e. one question asked if I
have mitral valve prolapse. I was able to “write-in”
that I don’t have prolapse, but do have mitral valve
regurgitation).
You are a Registry participant that has matched
an ongoing clinical research study, and have
agreed to participate. Could you tell us all about
your experience in doing so? What study did you
participate in? I am participating in a study to deter-
mine the impact on osteoarthritis of the knees based
on the strength of hip muscles.
Did you feel educated enough about the study?
Yes, I did feel pretty well educated after my rst day of
testing.

Did you feel the connection we provided to the
study coordinator was easy and convenient? Yes,
I do feel connected to the study coordinators. They
have given me their phone numbers and e-mail ad-
dresses and have called me periodically throughout
the study.
What about the process did you like or dislike?
My only small dislike was the length of time I spent
during the testing. It was a long drive from my home
for the second day of testing, but it wasn’t really much
of an inconvenience—certainly not enough that it
would deter me from participating now or in the future.
I am happy to go through a little inconvenience in

order to provide information that may be of help to
someone in the future. I liked the staff that worked
with me very much. They were caring, considerate,
professional and informative. I also like the informa-
tion available on the Institute’s websites.
My only other comment is that it would be nice to
know what is determined from the testing that is done
during the study. This would enable the participants
to use the information learned about themselves to
benet her health and well-being.
Clinical Research
An interview with a Registry Participant
Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Study
Are you between 18 and 75 years of age with a
diagnosis of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy
in both legs? Please contact the Registry ofce if
you would like information about this study or
are interested in being contacted by the study
coordinator. Phone: 312-503-1662.
Response to Nancy’s comment:
This is a great comment and here at the Institute
we advocate for study coordinator follow-up.
We strongly encourage Registry participants
enrolled in studies to contact the coordinators
and specically ask how and when they will
receive results from the study. For the knee
osteoarthritis (OA) study, newsletters will be sent
to all participants after baseline evaluations are
completed in addition to another newsletter when

the study is nished in 2 years. Newsletters will
include helpful information about OA and updates
on what has been published. Finally, after the
study is complete, Dr. Sharma will send letters
to each participant letting them know how their
knee x-rays, muscle strength, and measures
of functioning have changed from baseline to
follow-up.
For another participant’s perspective on this study
please visit, thwestern.
edu/2010/03/participating-in-a-research-study-can-be-
fun/
10 Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010
The Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care
was unveiled April 19, at a ceremony that marked
the debut of a novel center for treating breast and
gynecological cancers and honored the First Lady
of Chicago. The Center for Women’s Cancer Care,
part of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer
Center of Northwestern University, is located within
Northwestern Memorial Prentice Women’s Hospital.
Mrs. Daley, who receives treatment for breast cancer
at the Lurie Cancer Center, attended the ceremony
accompanied by Mayor Richard M. Daley. The new
two-oor center offers a unique “one-stop shopping”
integrative, holistic approach that addresses and
centralizes all of a woman’s needs emotional,
aesthetic and physical during treatment.
A patient can easily access services to improve
her quality of life in the same place she is seeing

internationally renowned medical oncologists,
gynecologists and surgical oncologists and receiving
cutting-edge therapy for breast and gynecological
cancers. A radiant and beaming Mrs. Daley, spoke
at the ceremonial unveiling, “When people walk into
this center for women’s cancer care, which now
carries my name a fact that has honored me more
than anyone will ever know I feel certain that they
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Opens New
Women’s Cancer Center
will receive the utmost care possible both medically
and emotionally, in both big and small ways,” she
said.
At the new Center for Women’s Cancer Care, women
can get acupuncture or Reiki, visit a nutritionist or see
a health psychologist to cope with their diagnoses
and life during treatment. Adding to the convenience,
a woman can receive many of these services
while she is being infused with chemotherapy. A
new program also offers rehabilitation services for
women to maximize their strength and endurance.
A new “healing boutique” offers wig and prosthesis
ttings, hats and makeup consultations for patients
undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
Centralizing these services is important because
nding and driving to various locations often feels
overwhelming to a patient whose primary focus is
cancer treatment.
The Center for Women’s Cancer Care offers patients
access to novel therapies and drugs and the access

to more than 100 clinical trials. A cancer genetics
program within the center screens patients at higher-
than-average risk for cancer and provides education
and guidelines for early detection and possible
prevention of the disease. The center includes 11
private chemotherapy rooms, most with
lake views, and a group chemotherapy
area, providing patients with a choice of
environments.
The Maggie Daley Center for Women’s
Cancer Care is a partnership between
Northwestern Medical Faculty
Foundation, Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine,
Northwestern Memorial and the
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. To
learn more about the Center or to make
an appointment with a cancer specialist,
call 866-LURIECC or visit cancer.
northwestern.edu
Mrs. Maggie Daley (seated), Mayor Richard Daley, Mrs. Ann Lurie, Dr. Steven Rosen
at the new Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care at Northwestern Memorial
Prentice Women’s Hospital.
Photo credit: Nathan Mandell
Pushing the Boundaries of Women’s Health Spring 2010 11
In December, 2009, the Institute hosted a panel, Mentoring
in Action, in conjunction with Celebrating America’s Wom-
en Physicians Changing the Face of Medicine a traveling
exhibit that came to the Northwestern Medical campus.
On March 6, 2010, Dr. Vivian Pinn, director of the NIH Of-

ce of Research on Women’s Health spent a day at North-
western observing our Oncofertility Saturday Academy
program, talking to the students as well as their parents.
The Institute’s Teresa Woodruff and Sarah Bristol-Gould
were interviewed in the 4-part series Health Secrets: What
Every Woman Should Know. The show was televised this
spring on WTTW, the Chicago PBS afliate, and hosted by
Paula Zahn.
The Institute received two grants to support the Women’s
Health Science Programs for High School Girls & Beyond.
One from the 2010 Evergreen Invitational Women’s Health
Initiative and another from the Alumnae of Northwestern.
The Institute’s statewide outreach efforts for the Registry
included staff visits to Long Grove, DeKalb, and Monmouth,
Illinois and to the Illinois Nurses Association Political Ac-
tion Day in Springeld, IL. These visits are very valuable in
increasing statewide participation and in identifying needs
unique to rural women.
Michelle Desjardins, Registry Outreach Coordinator sub-
mitted a poster for the annual Lewis Landsberg Research
Day at Northwestern on April 8 and will be presenting a
Registry poster at this year’s OSSD national conference.
Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff and Megan Faurot received the rst
Girl Power Leadership Award, by Young Women’s Lead-
ership Charter School (YWLCS) on April 15, 2010, for
providing YWLCS students with the opportunity to study
cancer and fertility, cardiology, infectious diseases, and the
physical sciences through the Institute for Women’s Health
Research.
Institute Director Teresa K. Woodruff has been named the

winner of the Tripartite Legacy Prize, presented annually to
the Northwestern faculty member who has demonstrated
excellence in research that emphasizes translational ap-
proaches, teaching and mentoring, and leadership.
Institute Happenings
Michelle Desjardins presents her poster at Lewis
Landsberg Research Day.
YWLCS student, Aryana M., presents Dr. Woodruff
(left) and Megan Faurot with Girl Power Leadership
Awards.
Dr. Vivian Pinn, Director of the NIH Ofce of Research
on Women’s Health speaking to students and parents
during the OSA program.
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CHECK OUT OUR BLOG!
/>The goals of our blog are to be an educational resource for information regarding
women’s health and to create a community where women can ask questions and share
experiences. We invite you to ask questions and tell us what you think are the top
issues related to women’s health.
Institute for Women’s Health Research
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
300 E. Superior, Tarry 12-703

Chicago, IL 60611
www.womenshealth.northwestern.edu
This newsletter is generously supported by:
www.womenshealth.northwestern.edu
This newsletter is offered to the general public and published by Northwest-
ern University’s Institute for Women’s Health Research. Story ideas, sugges-
tions and comments are welcome and should be forwarded to the Editor, Sarah
Bristol-Gould, Director of Research Programs, Institute for Women’s Health
Research, 300 E. Superior, Tarry 12-703, Chicago, IL 60611; or call 312-
503-1662.
Teresa K Woodruff, PhD - Director
Sharon L Green, MHA - Executive Director
Sarah Bristol-Gould, PhD - Director of Research Programs
Michelle Desjardins - Research Study Programs Coordinator
Megan Faurot, MEd - Director of Education Programs
Barbara Sutcliffe - Manager of Business Operation The information
The information provided in the newsletter is obtained from reliable
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