A Beeson Career Development Award is proposed by the University of Chicago to advance the candidate, Stacy Lindau, MD, to productive, independent investigatorship and leadership in clinically-relevant aging research. Her long-term career goal is to fundamentally alter the approach to and outlook for older adult sexuality by designing effective and disease-focused clinical interventions. An evidence base does not yet exist for disease-specific approaches to prevention and management of sexual problems among older adults with chronic illness, especially women. Dr. Lindau's work, to date, has been mainly in collaboration with social scientists using population-based survey research methods. This research establishes that many older adults are sexually active, sexual problems are highly prevalent and that physician communication with older adults about sexuality (particularly women) infrequently occurs. As a gynecologist researcher with clinical experience in treatment of female sexual problems, Dr. Lindau's immediate career goal is to move her gerosexuality research focus from population to patient. Specifically, she aims to identify how myocardial infarction in older women affects sexuality, who is most at risk, and what can be done to prevent and ameliorate negative sexual sequelae following an Ml. She will do this using population-based and clinical observational data, qualitative methods, and by carrying out a clinical trial feasibility study. Moving from population to patient requires substantial new, training, skills and research experience, including mentored training in clinical cardiology and geriatrics, clinical trials design and implementation, comorbidity and disease severity adjustment, risk stratification tool development, and analytic methods for assessing clinical outcomes and intervention effectiveness. With these new skills, Dr. Lindau is poised to become a uniquely cross-trained, translational researcher in aging whose work and leadership can advance both gerontology and geriatrics approaches to older adult sexuality. An ambitious four year plan is proposed, appropriate to Dr. Lindau's level of experience, in an excellent research environment. Mentorship will help ensure Dr. Lindau's success and will facilitate development of productive, lasting collaborations with geriatricians and other clinical specialists. The Beeson Award will link Dr. Lindau and her career to the premier network of clinical aging researchers and will position her to lead and inspire others in aging research.

Public Health Relevance

Sexual activity and function are strongly associated with overall health in later life, yet medical attention to sexual concerns of older adults is dismal. This research will provide an evidence base for design and evaluation of interventions to prevent, identify and intervene upon a highly prevalent, but largely ignored, spectrum of distressing problems experienced by older adults with common illnesses.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
1K23AG032870-01A1
Application #
7731711
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAG1-ZIJ-4 (M1))
Program Officer
Patmios, Georgeanne E
Project Start
2009-09-30
Project End
2013-08-31
Budget Start
2009-09-30
Budget End
2010-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$191,969
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
005421136
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Dude, Annie; Gavrilova, Natalia et al. (2017) Prevalence and correlates of vaginal estrogenization in postmenopausal women in the United States. Menopause 24:536-545
Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Abramsohn, Emily; Bueno, Hector et al. (2016) Sexual Activity and Function in the Year After an Acute Myocardial Infarction Among Younger Women and Men in the United States and Spain. JAMA Cardiol 1:754-764
Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Abramsohn, Emily M; Baron, Shirley R et al. (2016) Physical examination of the female cancer patient with sexual concerns: What oncologists and patients should expect from consultation with a specialist. CA Cancer J Clin 66:241-63
Kennedy, Vanessa; Abramsohn, Emily; Makelarski, Jennifer et al. (2015) Can you ask? We just did! Assessing sexual function and concerns in patients presenting for initial gynecologic oncology consultation. Gynecol Oncol 137:119-24
Flynn, Kathryn E; Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Lin, Li et al. (2015) Development and Validation of a Single-Item Screener for Self-Reporting Sexual Problems in U.S. Adults. J Gen Intern Med 30:1468-75
Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Abramsohn, Emily M; Matthews, Amber C (2015) A manifesto on the preservation of sexual function in women and girls with cancer. Am J Obstet Gynecol 213:166-74
Lindau, Stacy Tessler; Abramsohn, Emily M; Bueno, Héctor et al. (2014) Sexual activity and counseling in the first month after acute myocardial infarction among younger adults in the United States and Spain: a prospective, observational study. Circulation 130:2302-9
Bangash, Haider K; Finch, Tunisia; Petronic-Rosic, Vesna et al. (2013) Pityriasis rosea-like drug eruption due to nortriptyline in a patient with vulvodynia. J Low Genit Tract Dis 17:226-9
Abramsohn, Emily M; Decker, Carole; Garavalia, Brian et al. (2013) ""I'm not just a heart, I'm a whole person here"": a qualitative study to improve sexual outcomes in women with myocardial infarction. J Am Heart Assoc 2:e000199
Spatz, Erica S; Canavan, Maureen E; Desai, Mayur M et al. (2013) Sexual activity and function among middle-aged and older men and women with hypertension. J Hypertens 31:1096-105

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