BIRCWH NEWS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Judi Simcox, PhD Named HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
Judi Simcox, PhD (UW BIRCWH Scholar 2020-2022), assistant professor in the UW Department of Biochemistry, was recently selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. This prestigious honor recognizes early career faculty who have demonstrated the potential to advance cutting edge science while also embracing diversity and inclusivity in their research lab. Each Scholar will receive up to $8.6 million over 10 years, while also participating in professional development to advance their leadership and mentoring skills. This esteemed opportunity is an indicator of Judi’s success as an established investigator contributing to advances in sex and gender differences research. May 2023
UW BIRCWH Voice in the National news
Dr. Jenny Higgins, PhD, (UW BIRCWH Scholar 2013-2017), professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology & of Gender and Women’s Studies provided expert commentary on local and national conversations around abortion. She leads The Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE) based in Ob/Gyn and her scholarship spans the range of reproductive health care from an equity and public health perspective. June 2022
Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH leads UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE)
Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH (BIRCWH Scholar 2013-2017) is the Director of the newly established UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE). Based in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CORE is a campus-wide initiative focused on reproductive health research and translation to address critical needs in reproductive health and healthcare in Wisconsin. CORE conducts and translates rigorous, interdisciplinary research to inform policies and programs to ensure Wisconsin residents and families are able to make decisions about their reproductive health and access needed services without interference or coercion. June 2020
Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH receives WWHF Women’s Health Champion Award
Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH (UW BIRCWH Scholar 2008-2009) recently received the 2020 Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation Champion Award. The Award recognizes individuals who have devoted themselves and their careers to improving the lives of Wisconsin women and their families. Dr. Moreno is a Professor and Vice Chair of Digital Health in the UW-Madison Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Moreno’s NIH-funded research investigates how technology and social media influence health throughout the life course. January 2020
NIH Announces Administrative Supplements for Research Advancing Women’s Health
The NIH/ORWH recently announced administrative supplements to support research on the Health of Women of Understudied, Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Populations and research highlighting the impact of Sex/Gender Influences on Human Health.
The UW BIRCWH program encourages principal investigators to consider these opportunities as a means of broadening the scope of existing research within the institution to advance women’s health and recognize the pivotal role of sex/gender as a biological variable in scientific studies. December 2019
Jenny Higgins, PhD, MPH receives NIH grant
Dr. Jenny Higgins was recently awarded a $1.3 million, 4 year grant from NIH for her work titled Sexual Acceptability’s Role in Contraceptive Preference and Behavior. This award will advance Jenny’s scientific inquiry into how contraceptives affect women’s sexuality, and how these sexual effects can in turn influence contraceptive use over time. Jenny and her colleagues will be investigating sexual acceptability outcomes over time among more than 1,000 patients who begin one of seven reversible contraceptive methods. The ultimate goals of this research are 1) to support more satisfied and consistent contraceptive users, and 2) to reduce unwanted pregnancy. As a UW BIRCWH Scholar, Jenny was the recipient of several intra and extramural grants focusing on reproductive health research. This subsequent NIH award is an indicator of Jenny’s success as an established investigator contributing to advances in health outcomes relating to women’s health. October 2017
Heather Neuman, MD, MS awarded ARHQ grant
Heather Neuman, MD, MS has been awarded a $1.2 million, 5 year grant through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for her project titled Increasing Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Patients’ Engagement in Breast Cancer Surgery Decision Making through a Shared Decision Making Intervention for Breast Cancer Diagnosis. This patient centered research initiative is designed to identify barriers to patient engagement as a means to develop decision-making interventions for patients with the greatest needs. This model of tailored SDM would allow health care systems to direct finite resources to improve decision-making for the greatest number of patients. Heather’s long-term goal is to reduce socioeconomic disparities in healthcare by developing clinic-level strategies for evidence-based interventions, including decision aids that can improve shared decision making for diverse populations. As a former UW BIRCWH scholar, this R01 award serves as a culmination of Heather’s significant progress towards research independence. October 2017