The Uconn Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Women's Health (IRWH) will coordinate and integrate the diverse research programs in women's health that now exist at the University of Connecticut Health Center, the School of Allied Health and the Women's Studies Program at the Storrs campus. The goal is to consolidate current efforts in women health research to train a cadre of junior investigators and to bring together investigators from basic, clinical and socio-behavioral research settings under one structure. Such a structure will substantially enhance women's health research at the University of Connecticut. The proposed program draws on research strengths in bone and skeletal biology; the addictions and mental health; reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases; and gender roles. Faculty mentors have been identified in the basic, clinical and socio- behavioral sciences to provide research-intensive experience in these areas of concentration. There are a number of distinctive features: 1) Strong leadership that draws on expertise in gender, mentored training and established research programs; 2) An established Women's Studies Program; 3) A nurturing environment for developing faculty; 4) Excellent existing research training programs, including the MD/PhD and DMD/PhD programs; graduate training program in the Biomedical Sciences; the Clinical Research Curriculum sponsored by the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC); the Uconn Center on Aging clinical research training program as part of its Geriatrics Fellowship; Master of Public Health Programs; Master of Dental Science; the Department of Psychiatry postdoctoral program in addiction research, 5) Planned expansion of the research infrastructure through the Strategic Plan for Research. The training program will consist of a Core Enrichment Experience in Women's Health and three training tracks. The Core includes a monthly journal club, a seminar series in women's health, annual conferences on women's health and the GCRC Clinical Research Course, which addresses responsible conduct of research. Training Tracks include Experienced Investigator, Scholar with Limited Research Experience; and Degree Track. IRWH Scholars will meet quarterly with IRWH program directors and will be evaluated bi-annually by their assigned mentors to monitors progress in the training program.
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