Featured Publication of the Week for the Journal of the Endocrine Society (April 2023), with lead author and former Center Postdoctoral Research Fellow Ning Ding, PhD, MPH; additional authors include Center Director Siobán D. Harlow, PhD, and Center Core Faculty members John F. Randolph, MD and Sung Kyun Park, ScD, MPH.
» Read the original study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society
“In this study of hospitalized influenza patients, we show that distinct clusters with higher disease acuity can be identified and could be targeted for evaluations of vaccine and influenza antiviral effectiveness against disease attenuation. The association of higher disease acuity with glucose level merits evaluation.”
“Weathering” due to racist experiences can lead women of color to experience some medical conditions earlier than their white counterparts, often leading to these vulnerable women being left out of crucial studies. “I wasn’t expecting to see how much the selection [of study participants] changed these estimates. We’re overestimating the timing of onset of these diseases for everyone in SWAN, regardless of race. It basically amounts to only telling part of the story.”
» Read the full story with comments from Center affiliate Alexis N. Reeves, PhD at Science Magazine
» Read the original study with lead author Alexis N. Reeves, PhD at JAMA network open
“This study suggests that PFAS may increase diabetes risk in midlife women. Reduced exposure to these ‘forever and everywhere chemicals’ may be an important preventative approach to lowering population-wide diabetes risk.”
» Read the original study with lead author Sung Kyun Park, ScD, MPH at Diabetologia
This special lecture honors Dr. Sower’s extraordinary scientific contributions to the field of women’s health and to inspire young scholars to transcend the boundaries between varying fields of research to advance women’s health. As a result of her contributions, women’s health grew from a peripheral field of study to a major discipline and we honor her legacy by inviting a groundbreaking researcher to present a lecture in her name.
» Learn more about the Mary Fran Sowers Memorial Lectures and watch previously recorded Sowers Lectures.
SWAN Genomic Analyses performed dense genome-wide genotyping and imputation of genetic variants throughout the genome to the Haplotype Reference Consortium (HRC) reference panel in 1538 SWAN participants. This project enables SWAN to participate in genetic consortia focused on reproductive aging as well as risk factors for health and disease in women with data uploaded to dbGaP. We are also conducting gene-based analyses to assess the association of menopausal traits, including vasomotor symptoms, with genetic loci previously identified to be associated with age at menarche and menopause. (AG 017719)
The Michigan Farmworker Project (MFP) is a community-engaged project that aims to provide a deeper understanding of the complex working and living conditions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the state of Michigan and the relationship with health outcomes in this population. The MFP seeks to identify indicators of labor exploitation in farmworkers and relate this understanding to farmworker’s psychosocial, occupational and environmental risk factors as well as gaps in service provision and recommendations from farmworkers themselves to address their current working and living conditions.
Now in its 28th year, the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation is a multi-site, multi-ethnic longitudinal, study designed to examine the health — physical, biological, psychological and social changes — of women during the midlife and as they age. The resulting research helps scientists, health care providers and women learn how mid-life experiences affect health and quality of life during the midlife and as they age.