The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is pleased to welcome five new members to the agency’s Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health (ACRWH).

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 charges the committee with advising the director of ORWH on appropriate research activities to be undertaken by the national research institutes with respect to research on women's health. The committee includes 18 members who are appointed by the NIH Director to serve four-year terms.

"We are delighted to welcome these five outstanding individuals as new members to the NIH Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health,” said ORWH Director Vivian W. Pinn, M.D. “They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about women's health, research, health professional education, and biomedical career development to NIH and we look forward to their guidance as we continue to address current scientific issues of importance for the public health."

Luther Clark, M.D., is the Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Medical Director of the Physicians Assistant Program of the College of Health Related Professions, and Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Training Program at the State University of New York Health Science Center (Downstate) in Brooklyn, New York. He is also Chief of Cardiology at Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Clark is a nationally recognized expert in health disparities in cardiovascular diseases.

PonJola Coney, M.D., is the Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She is well respected in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, F.A.C.O.G.

Andrea Dunaif, M.D., is the Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Dunaif is internationally recognized for her research on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the relationship of PCOS to type 2 diabetes.

Linda Kaste, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and Director of Predoctoral Dental Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry. She is nationally recognized for her work in oral health in populations with limited access to care.

Carmen Zorilla, M.D., is a Professor in Obstetrics/Gynecology at the University Hospital of the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. Dr. Zorilla is well respected for her clinical and behavioral research — as well as clinical programs — related to mother-to-infant HIV transmission, empowerment of women, breast cancer, and HIV vaccine development.

Highlights of the recent Advisory Committee meeting included discussions on:

• scientific research and policy, as well as recommendations for future research;
• monitoring adherence to the NIH Policy on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research;
• the outcome of the recently held NIH State of the Science Conference on management of menopause-related symptoms; and
• how to redefine leadership for women in the sciences.

Other members of the 18-member Advisory Committee include:

• Myrna Blyth, M.A., Author/Editorial Consultant, New York, NY
• Otis W. Brawley, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology, Epidemiology, Associate Director for Cancer Control, Winship Cancer Institute — Emory University, Atlanta, GA
• Joanna M. Cain, M.D., Chair and Professor of OBGYN Department, Director, Center for Women’s Health, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR
• Lee S. Cohen, M.D., Director, Perinatal & Reproductive Psychiatry, Clinical Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA
• Teri Fontenot, M.B.A., President and CEO, Woman’s Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA
• Margaret M. Heitkemper, Ph.D., RN, FAAN; Chair & Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Systems, Director, Center for Women’s Health Research, Corbally Professor in Public Service, University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA
• Timothy R. B. Johnson, M.D., Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Medical Center — Women’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI
• Martha A. Medrano, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Hispanic Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
• Irene Pollin, M.S.W., Founder and President, Sister-to-Sister Foundation, Chevy Chase, MD
• Sally A. Shumaker, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Faculty Services; Tenured Professor, Public Health Sciences & Internal Medicine; Director, Intercampus & Community Program Development, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Public Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC
• Barbara G. Wells, PharmD, FCCP, Dean and Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS
• Marcelle Willock, M.D., M.B.A., Dean, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA
• Phyllis M. Wise, Ph.D., Dean, Division of Biological Sciences, Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior in the Division of Biological Sciences & Human Physiology, School of Medicine, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at Davis.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — is comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.