Overview: The principal mission of the Women?s Reproductive Health Research at Stanford (WRHRS) Program is to provide state-of-the-art, mentored, multidisciplinary research career development for outstanding junior clinician-scientists who will impact and improve women?s reproductive health. Diversity of thought, experience and approach are fundamental principles of our Program. Thirty-seven Faculty Mentors and 7 Advisory Committee members (5 internal; 2 external) representing 3 Schools, 11 Departments and 5 Institutes at Stanford will collaborate to mentor junior faculty-level clinician-investigators (?WRHRS Scholars?) to acquire the skills and experience needed to transition into productive, independent physician scientists able to sustain viable careers and mentor future generations. Training Program and Candidate Pool: The WRHRS Program bridges clinical care with excellence in basic, clinical and translational research to address the national shortage of qualified investigators in this discipline. The Program includes a structured training plan of sufficient duration to achieve independence, individualized didactic education based on skills, competencies, and needs, extensive team-based mentoring, hands-on research, and protected time with immersion in a vibrant research community. Stanford has robust mentoring systems, strong curriculum, and solid infrastructure in place to prepare WRHRS Scholars for research independence. Each Scholar will have a multidisciplinary mentor team as well as access to a wealth of resources and the rigorous reproductive research infrastructure of the OB/GYN Department and beyond. We have an excellent pipeline of diverse Scholar candidates and comprehensive collateral resources. Two WRHRS Scholars will be supported each year of the 5-year program. Duration of support for each Scholar will average 2-3 years thereby providing training for 4 Scholars. Scholars will be nationally recruited to pursue one of seven Research Focus Areas in which Stanford demonstrates exceptional strength and breadth: 1) Maternal-Child Health & Epidemiology, 2) REI & Stem Cell Biology, 3) Gynecologic Health Across the Lifespan, 4) Gynecologic Oncology, 5) Perinatal Biology, 6) LGBTQ+ Health, and 7) Innovative Technology & Precision Health. Scholars will develop essential skills and a portfolio of research projects to propel their transition to independence. Research progress and career outcomes of Scholars are evaluated in an ongoing basis by Faculty Mentors, Program leadership and Advisory Committee members. Innovation and Impact: Our Program will catalyze growth of women?s reproductive health research in a uniquely fertile environment. WRHRS is synergistic with several Stanford School of Medicine programs focused on innovation in precision medicine, global health, gender equity, and sexual and gender medicine. Our cadre of WRHRS Scholars will be well poised to improve the reproductive health of women over the lifespan.
The comprehensive Women?s Reproductive Health Research at Stanford offers OB/GYN junior clinician- investigators an individually tailored program of didactic research methods and mentored career development to bridge the transition to academic independence. The primary goal is to develop diverse, highly trained, creative and productive independent investigators in reproductive science to address the increasing opportunities in this field. Having this program embedded in Stanford?s rich culture of innovation and collaboration provides an exceptional environment to empower the next generation of independent investigators who will advance reproductive health for all.
