The Savvy Woman Patient: How and Why Sex Differences Affect Your Health

Authors' Biographies:

Florence Haseltine, PhD, MD, founder of the Society for Women's Health Research, is Director of the Center for Population Research at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health. At NICHD she has led a large and comprehensive program of research in the reproductive sciences, contraceptives, and reproductive products and procedures and has helped to develop a program to train obstetrician-gynecologists in basic research. A board certified obstetrician and gynecologist and an expert in reproductive endocrinology, Dr. Haseltine is working on the basis of sex and gender differences and what these differences teach us about disease process.

Sherry Marts, PhD, is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the Society for Women's Health Research. Prior to joining the Society, Dr. Marts was a senior analyst at the consulting firm of Abt Associates, where she served as scientific research administrator for the HIV Network for Prevention Trials. She also was director of research grants at the American Health Assistance Foundation and worked in the office of the vice president for research and development at the American Red Cross biomedical research laboratories.

Debra Gordon is an award winning medical writer and editor who is widely published in magazines such as Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, Prevention magazine, Business Week, Managed Care Magazine, and Parents Today. She is a contributor to numerous web sites, including InteliHealth.com, DiscoveryHealth.com, Healthanswers.com, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the National Women's Health Resource Center. She is a contributor to the Reader’s Digest book, Medical Breakthroughs 2003, editor of The Woman Doctor's Guide to Health and Healing, and author of 7 Days to a Good Night's Sleep.

Susan Finn, PhD, chairs the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition. A registered and licensed dietitian, Dr. Finn is a fellow and former president of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She initiated the ADA’s Women’s Nutrition & Health Campaign. Dr. Finn co-authored two books on nutrition, The Real Life Nutrition Book: Making the Right Food Choices Without Changing Your Lifestyle and The American Dietetic Association’s Guide to Women’s Nutrition for Healthy Living. She has made more than 500 appearances on radio and television shows such as ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today Show, delivering information about nutrition. Dr. Finn is a member of the American Society of Clinical Nutrition and the American Society for Parental and Enteral Nutrition.

Viviana Simon, PhD, is the Director of Scientific Programs at the Society for Women's Health Research. Dr. Simon has also worked at the Banting and Best Institute of Medical Research in Toronto, Canada, while completing a postdoctoral fellowship, and was a senior editor of human databases at Proteome Inc/Incyte Genomics, where she was in charge of product quality control.

Eileen Resnick, PhD, is Scientific Program Manager at the Society for Women’s Health Research. Prior to joining the Society, Dr. Resnick was a Clinical Trials Specialist with PSI International, Inc, where she managed a portfolio of investigational drugs with clinicians in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute. She also was Program Coordinator at the American Institute of Biological Sciences where she managed peer review of scientific and medical grants for public institutions and private foundations.

Rita Baron Faust, editor of the Weill-Cornell Women’s Health Advisor, is a best selling author of numerous books including Mental Wellness for Women, Breast Cancer: What Every Woman Should Know, Being Female: What Every Woman Should Know About Gynecological Health, A Woman's Guide to Sleep ( co-author), and The Autoimmune Connection ( co-author). She is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association.

Laura L. Tosi, MD, is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Director of the Bone Health Program at Children’s National Medical Center. Her clinical practice focuses on the orthopedic care of children and adults with musculoskeletal disabilities and issues related to bone health. Dr. Tosi is a past President of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, the professional association for women in orthopaedics. She received its Presidential Special Merit Award in 2000 for her outreach on topics in women's health. She is past chair of the Women’s Health Issues Committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and recently co-chaired a workshop for them entitled “The Influence of Sex and Gender on Musculoskeletal Health” in order to motivate change in the way musculoskeletal health research is conducted, and ultimately improve musculoskeletal care in both men and women. She also serves on the Interspecialty Medical Council of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

Richard Schmitz, MA, is Director of Communications for the Society for Women’s Health Research, where he manages the public education programs and oversees media outreach.  Prior to the Society, he served as Director of Public Relations for the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.  He has authored articles on brain health with an emphasis on addiction for publications such as Family Therapy Magazine and Addiction Professional.

Mark P. Schoenberg, MD, FACS, is a Professor of Urology and Oncology and the Director of the Division of Urologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He conducts basic and clinical research on the detection and management of patients with all forms of bladder cancer. His particular areas of clinical interest are the surgical treatment of invasive tumors and lower urinary tract reconstruction in both male and female patients. Dr. Schoenberg is a member of the American Association of Cancer Research and the American Urological Association and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Schoenberg is Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), the first national patient advocacy organization dedicated to bladder cancer .

Stephanie Shapiro is a junior at Dickinson College, majoring in Art History. Ms. Shapiro has an extensive background in molecular biology and chemistry and has been a summer intern for Dr. Mark Schoenberg at the Bladder Cancer Research Center at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions since 2003 .

Diane Zipursky Quale is co-founder and President of the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN), the first national patient advocacy organization dedicated to bladder cancer. An attorney by training, Mrs. Quale has been an active participant in the cancer community since 2002, serving as the volunteer administrator of a retreat program for cancer patients and fundraiser for a small non-profit cancer organization in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Consumer Advocates in Research and Related Activities (CARRA) program and was recently invited to serve as an external review on the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) at NCI.

Marisa Weiss, MD, is Director of Breast Radiation Oncology at Lankenau Hospital, with an active practice in the Philadelphia area. She also is founder and president of breastcancer.org, an award-winning web site dedicated to educating and supporting women with breast cancer and their loved ones. Dr. Weiss was selected as Top Doctor of the Year 2005 by Philadelphia Magazine and has been an appointed member of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer Liaison Group since April 2000. She is the founder and past President of Living Beyond Breast Cancer® (LBBC), a national nonprofit education and support organization and author of the acclaimed book Living Beyond Breast Cancer. Her emphasis on improving the doctor-patient relationship has led to many appearances on national television and radio, including co-producing and/or guest appearing on the NBC Today Show's Special Breast Cancer Series for seven consecutive years.

Jacqueline Wolf, MD, runs a clinical academic gastroenterology practice at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The focus of her clinical practice and clinical research is in the areas that interface women’s health and gastrointestinal disorders in women and in inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Wolf is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group at her medical center. She has participated in the women’s health congress for many years, chairing or speaking at the gastroenterology portion. Dr. Wolf has developed a mentoring program for women in gastroenterology and medicine through the American Gastroenterological Association’s Women’s committee. She is Secretary of the Society for Women's Health Research.

Michael Spigler, CHES is the Director of Public Education for the American Kidney Fund (the Fund). The Fund is our nation’s leading voluntary health organization serving people with and at risk for kidney disease through direct financial assistance, comprehensive education, clinical research and community service programs. As the Fund's Director of Public Education, he develops patient education materials, manages the toll-free national HelpLine, coordinates the Fund's organ and tissue donor awareness activities, and serves as co-editor of the Fund's Professional Advocate newsletter.

Peggy McCarthy, MBA, is owner and CEO of McCarthy Medical Marketing, Inc. a company that creates educational programs for health-professionals and the public. She is founder and served as volunteer-Executive Director from 1994-99 for the Lung Cancer Alliance (formerly Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy, Support, and Education). The book, LUNG CANCER: Myths, Facts, Choices- and Hope, which she co-authored with Claudia Henschke, MD and writer Sarah Wernick has won two awards for providing excellent medical education for the public. She has developed and contributes to numerous web sites and has appeared on television and radio to speak publicly about patient advocacy issues. She is a founding partner in C-Change (National Dialogue on Cancer).

Linda Niessen, DMD MPH, is clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry. She hosts Dental Health Check, a weekly television show on dental health. Dr. Niessen is the recipient, along with television producer Sara Ivey, of the Chicago Dental Society’s 2004 Cushing Award, an honor given to media for raising awareness of oral health issues.

Denise J. Fedele, DMD MS, is a practicing dentist and serves as Chief of Professional Development and Research for Dentistry at the VA Maryland Health Care System. Dr. Fedele also holds faculty appointments as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Dental School and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine. She also is an Assistant Director for the Geriatric Fellowship at the UMDNJ-SOM and Director of the Dental Public Health Residency at the VA Medical Center at Perry Point, MD. Dr. Fedele is a member of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the American Association of Women Dentists. She is a recipient of the American Dental Association Meritorious Award in Geriatric Oral Health.

Mallory Zhang, MD, is a fellow in the gynecologic oncology program at Stanford University/UCSF. She is a graduate of Columbia University Medical School and completed her residency at Stanford University. Her research interests include ovarian cancer stem cell and immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. Dr. Zhang is a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Ruth B. Lathi, MD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University Medical Center. She is fellowship trained in reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She conducts research on several topics including insulin signaling in the human endometrium, and etiologies of recurrent miscarriage, infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Lathi is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Linda Giudice, MD, PhD, is the chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. She previously was the Stanley McCormick Memorial Professor of OB/GYN at Stanford University, the Director of the Women’s Health @ Stanford Program and the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division at Stanford. Dr. Giudice is Chair of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee to the FDA and immediate past President of the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. She is on the Executive Board of the Reproductive Scientist Development Program as well as on the Frontiers in Reproduction Board of Scientific Counselors. She was recently elected Presidential Nominee (President in 2006) for the Society of Gynecologic Investigation. She is a co-editor of the textbook, The Endometrium . Dr. Giudice also is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Women's Health Research.

Susan H Weinkle, MD, is in solo private practice, specializing in Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology. She has held academic appointments at Stanford University Hospital, the University of California Irvine Medical Center and most recently at the University of South Florida. board-certified in Dermatology. Dr. Weinkle is a Fellow of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology and a Diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology. Dr. Weinkle also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology.

H. Lin Hall, ARNP

Melissa Brown, BSN, MSN, MD, is an adjunct assistant professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and adjunct senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at Penn. She is the director for the Center for Value-Based Medicine and co-chief Editor of Evidence-Based Eye Care. Dr. Brown has served as President of the Montgomery County (PA) Medical Society and serves on the Advisory Council for the National Institute for Aging. She has written over 120 publications on medical issues.

Nanette Wenger, MD, FACC, FAHA, MACP, is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology of the Emory University School of Medicine, and Chief of Cardiology at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. Wenger has held leadership positions in the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Society of Geriatric Cardiology. Among other honors, she has received the Gold Heart Award, the highest award given by the American Heart Association to volunteers; the American Heart Association R. Bruce Logue Award for Excellence in Medicine, and the American Medical Women’s Association Elizabeth Blackwell Award, which recognizes a woman physician who has made the most outstanding contribution to the cause of women in the field of medicine. In addition, the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease has established “The Wenger Awards,” in honor of Dr. Wenger, to recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to and significant achievement in efforts to reduce heart disease in women. She is the Senior Editor of the medical text, Women and Heart Disease. Dr. Wenger is Chair of the Board of the Society for Women's Health Research.

Patricia Hurn, PhD, is Professor and Vice Chairman of Anesthesiology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland and Director of the OHSU Program for Gender Based Biology in Medicine. She is a cerebrovascular physiologist with specific research interests in gender differences and the role of sex steroids in brain injury. Dr. Hurn's research team has explored extensively the role of estrogen in protecting the brain-at-risk for stroke. She holds five active grants to study stroke, three of which are centered on gender differences in stroke and on estrogen as a protective agent in brain injury. Dr. Hurn is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for The Hazel K. Goddess Fund for Stroke Research in Women.

Louise McCullough, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the University of Connecticut. She is the Director of Stroke Research and Education for the University of Connecticut Health Center and the Hartford Hospital Stroke Center. She is a board certified vascular neurologist in addition to being an active basic science researcher. She is a former Goddess Fund Scholar and studies the effects of estrogen on functional recovery after stroke. She is a holds several active grants and is interested in examining the effects of gender on both clinical and experimental stroke.

Carol Nadelson, MD, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS). She also is Director of the Partners Office for Women's Careers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and HMS. In this position, she works with others to identify projects and advocate for women's careers and the advancement of professional women in the hospital. Dr. Nadelson recently stepped down from her position as Editor-in-Chief, President and CEO of American Psychiatric Press, Inc. She was the first woman president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and a founding member of the first committee on women in APA. Dr. Nadelson has presented nearly 1,000 lectures, written over 200 papers and chapters, and co-edited 15 books.

Nada Stotland, MD, is a professor of psychiatry at Rush Medical College and a Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics/Gynecology at the Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. She has served as vice president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and as chair of APA's Joint Commission on Public Affairs

Terrie Cowley is a TMJ implant patient, co-founder, and President of The TMJ Association, a non-profit organization with a mission of education, research, and service. Through its newsletters and publications, Web site, e-mail and other communication links, the Association has become a national and international resource for thousands of patients, providers, researchers, and other interested parties. Ms. Cowley has been indefatigable in alerting policy-makers, the media, the NIH community, and Congress to the needs of TMJ patients, promoting research aimed at developing evidenced-based diagnostics, treatments, and ultimately prevention of TMJ problems.

Christin Veasley, BS, is the director of research and professional programs for the National Vulvodynia Association (NVA), a nonprofit organization that serves vulvar pain patients and medical professionals that care for women with vulvar pain disorders. Previously she worked as a research assistant in the department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine investigating the neurophysiological mechanisms of pelvic inflammation and pain. As the research director for the NVA, she develops educational programs for the medical community, attends national healthcare conferences, meets with representatives from the pharmaceutical industry and raises funds for the various programs and activities of the NVA. She is also a contributing author for the NVA News and has volunteered extensively in faith and medicine based organizations.

Yvette Colon

Michael E. Kalafer, MD, is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the former Medical Director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Departments at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego. He is a Principal Investigator for the Early Lung Cancer Action Project. He has had a long-time interest in public health and has been a Medical Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.

Leah S. Millheiser, MD, is an Instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She was recently awarded a Women's Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) Scholarship by the National Institutes of Health which allows her to devote a significant amount of her time to research in the field of female sexual health. She has also created the Female Sexual Health Program within the Division of Gynecology at Stanford University Medical Center. This clinical program focuses on the treatment of female sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and sexual pain disorders and serves as an outlet for several clinical research trials.

Beverly Whipple, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a Professor Emerita at Rutgers University. She has served as the Vice-President, World Association for Sexology; Past-president, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality; Past-president, American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists; and Past- Director, International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health.

Patricia A. Britz, MEd MPM, is the former Program Director for the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and is currently the Director of Information and Education at the Brain Injury Association of America. . She has 20 years of experience in program development and management in the areas of needs assessment, research, curriculum design, working collaboratively with health professionals, teaching, management and evaluation. She spent 10 years as educational administrator at St. Margaret Memorial Hospital in Pittsburgh, conducted staff training at the Hospice of Northern Virginia, and also has worked at the National Academy of Sciences. During her tenure at NSF, Pat has produced numerous public and professional educational materials and programs including the sleep for TEENS toolkit, and conduct ed s the annual Sleep in America poll , a national Women & Sleep poll, and managed the Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowship program in sleep.

Barbara A. Phillips, MD, MSPH, is Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She directs the Sleep Clinic and Sleep Fellowship at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and is Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Samaritan Hospital in Lexington. Dr. Phillips is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. She is President of the National Sleep Foundation Board of Directors .

Vicki Ratner, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at the Santa Teresa Community Hospital/Kaiser Permanent Medical Group. She is the founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Association. Dr. Ratner has served on the NIH Interstitial Cystitis Clinical Trials Group, the NIH Interstitial Cystitis Database Committee and, the Bladder Health Council of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease (AFUD). She is a recipient of the F. Brantley Scott Award by the Bladder Health Council of the American Foundation for Urologic Disease.

Lindsey Kerr, MD, is an associate professor of urology & Co-Director, Pelvic Floor Center, at the University of Utah. Formerly the Director of the Vermont Continence Center in Burlington, VT, she is on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Continence and has served as their National Spokesperson. Dr. Kerr is a member of the Society of Women in Urology and has served as its president. She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Urologists and the American Urological Association. She has been awarded the Eagles Cancer Research Grant and has written numerous articles, chapters and papers, appearing in such journals as Urology, Journal of Urology and Cancer Research. Dr. Kerr is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Women’s Health Research.

Suzanne Stone is the Vice President, Finance & Administration, for the Society for Women's Health Research and serves as a director of special policy projects. She has served as the executive director of the Sjögren's Syndrome Foundation and the Society of Vascular Technology. She was vice president of education for both the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and the Parenteral Drug Association. Ms. Stone has also worked in health policy analysis for the American Pharmaceutical Association, ECRI (formerly the Emergency Care Research Institute), and the American College of Physicians.