Over the past decade there has been considerable progress in recognition of the wide scope and complexity of women's health issues. It is now recognized that the health needs of women extend far beyond their reproductive system and include a wide range of conditions that are unique to women, more prevalent or serious in women, and/or inadequately addressed in women. A recent Institute of Medicine report found that sex is an important basic human variable that should be considered in designing and analyzing studies in all areas of basic and clinical research, that every cell has a sex, and that a person's genetic sex affects behavior and affects health. Research in women's health derives directly from understanding sex differences in biology and medicine. Herein, we propose a mentored, interdisciplinary program of advanced training and career development for physicians and scientists in women's health research and sex-based biology. We draw from the strengths of programs and faculty mentors/researchers at Stanford University from the disciplines of endocrinology, genetics, oncology, genomics, information technology, tissue engineering, pharmacology, psychiatry, medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, epidemiology, health policy, disease prevention, and biostatistics. The theme of the Interdisciplinary Women's Health Research (IWHR) Career Development Program at Stanford University is advanced, rigorous mentoring in women's health research from bench to bedside. The program will provide IWHR Scholars with structured, interdisciplinary research and didactic experiences, concomitantly with mentoring by experienced researchers and physician scientists. It will accommodate trainees with varying levels of experience in women's health research and derives from a broad based initiative with research, mentoring, and trainee evaluation as cornerstones of the program. The goal of the IWHR Career Development Center is to bridge the time period between clinical or research training with independent research careers and to foster the development of future leaders in women's health research in the United States.
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