Completed applications should be sent or delivered (hard copy only, please) to:

For more information, please contact: Patricia Scott

2006-2007

Angela M. Mills, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

A Randomized Trial of an ED Tobacco Cessation Intervention with Parenting Women

2005-2006

Susan A. Colilla, PhD, MPH
Instructor of Epidemiology in Biostatistics
and Epidemiology

Estrogen Metabolism Gene Polymorphisms
as Independent Risk Factors for
Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Project Abstract: Heart disease is uncommon in premenopausal women, but the risk increases dramatically after menopause, and it is likely due to the loss of the protective effects of estrogen. Surprisingly, exogenous hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women has not shown the expected beneficial cardioprotective results. Estrogens have favorable effects on lipids, endothelial function and remodeling but recent studies have suggested that some of the cardiovascular effects of estrogen may be attributed to intracellular estradiol metabolites. We hypothesize that polymorphisms in estrogen metabolism genes will have an independent effect on cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes and in part may explain the variable effects of estrogen replacement therapy.

Data from randomly selected control subjects participating in a recently completed population-based case-control study for breast and endometrial cancer in women will be tested for an association between estrogen metabolism gene polymorphisms and cardiovascular disease risk factors. We will also examine if estrogen metabolism gene polymorphisms can independently predict a cardiovascular disease outcome in these women.
The goal will be to generate and streamline etiologic hypotheses about the relationship of estrogen metabolism gene polymorphisms, environmental factors and cardiovascular disease. This pilot project will focus the specific aims and provide preliminary data for an NIH grant proposal examining the relationship between estrogen levels, estrogen metabolism genes, environmental factors and heart disease in a current cohort study (SWAN) of perimenopausal women.

2005-2006

Darren Taichman, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
in Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division

Serotonin Activity and Cognitive Deficits
in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Project Abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) predominantly affects young women, causing progressive functional impairment, cardiopulmonary failure and premature death. While recent advances in therapy have increased survival, these women continue to suffer with significant limitations in exercise capacity. Further, disease effects beyond the cardiovascular system impose additional burdens on quality of life. The effects of PAH beyond the cardiovascular system, however, have not been well studied particularly the effects on brain function. We have recently developed a simple research tool for the identification of cognitive dysfunction in patients with PAH, and have shown that over half of patients tested have clinically significant cognitive impairments. Emerging data suggests that abnormalities in serotonin signaling might be important in the development of PAH as well as cognitive dysfunction. We therefore propose to evaluate the association of cognitive deficits dysfunction. We therefore propose to evaluate the association of cognitive deficits with abnormal serotonin signaling by determining:
1. The prevalence of cognitive deficits in patients with PAH.
2. Plasma serotonin transporter activity among PAH patients with and without cognitive deficits.
3. The relationship between serotonin transporter activity and the presence of cognitive deficits in patients with PAH.

2003-2004

Marna S. Barrett, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry

Engagement and Attrition in Community Mental Health Settings

Project Aim: Relying on established partnerships with two community mental health centers, the proposed study is designed to assess and document those factors most predictive of dropout for female consumers of public mental health services. Factors influencing engagement and attrition will be examined at several points during the initiation of services as well as examining the relation between attrition and mental distress. The purpose of this initial investigation is for understanding attrition patterns and their correlates; designing interventions to improve service utilization; and, providing the most effective treatment in the most efficient manner.

2003-2004

Harold I. Litt, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Radiology

Gender Differences in Imaging Evaluation of Patients
Suspected of Having Pulmonary Embolism

Project Aim: This project will expand on a preliminary study that determined marked gender differences in the utilization of Computed Tomography examinations performed for suspected pulmonary embolism of patients seen in the Emergency Department at HUP. This next phase of the project will investigate the usage of V/Q scans. Through an analysis of ED records, this study will attempt to determine which clinical factors, such as chief complaint, previous medical history, EKG findings, or other, may be contributing to this gender difference in utilization of diagnostic imaging studies. The goal is to foster more appropriate resource utilization as well as improved care for women suspected of having pulmonary embolism.

2003

Marina Catallozzi, MD
Instructor, Pediatrics

Relationship Choices of Adolescent Women:
Characterizing the Phenomenon of Older Partners

Project Aim: This preliminary study will explore the prevalence of young women having sex with older men and will begin to identify reasons for, and factors associated with, this behavior. Increasing understanding of this phenomenon to assist with the development of policy initiatives regarding training curricula for health care providers as well as with appropriate interventions for adolescents who are at highest risk for negative outcomes associated with this behavior.

2003

Peter Foster Cronholm, MD
Instructor, Family Practice and Community Medicine

The Association between Low-Literacy
and Exposure to Domestic Violence in Prenatal Patients

Project Aim: A cross sectional study to assess the association between literacy level and exposure to domestic violence in prenatal patients; and, a specific hypothesis that low literacy levels will be associated with higher levels of exposure to domestic violence in prenatal patients. Low literacy and DV are associated with low self-efficacy. Interventions targeting variables that mediate self-efficacy may reduce adverse outcomes associated with DV.

2002-2003

Evaline A. Alessandrini, MD, MSCE
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Epidemiology

“ Caring for Kids: Illnesses and Injuries”— A Community Intervention

Project Aim: Project motivated by the frequency with which impoverished mothers rely on emergency departments as the usual source of health care for their children.
1. To examine the effects of a community-based education and skills intervention on maternal knowledge of common childhood illness and skills and confidence in caring for their children
2. To examine the effects of a community-based education and skills intervention on the use of health (particularly emergency) services by children of mothers involved in this project.

2001-2002

Elizabeth Datner, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine
Evaluating Emergency Department Services

Provided to Women Reporting Domestic Violence

Project Aim: To implement a clearly defined, routine intervention strategy in the Emergency Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in cases of women patients who report being in abusive relationships; and, to use the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change to evaluate the effectiveness of physician-based intervention.

2000-2001

Carmen Guerra, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Division of General Internal Medicine

The Association between Literacy and the Knowledge,
Attitudes, and Behavior about Screening Mammography in Urban Hispanic Women

Project Aim: To determine whether functional health literacy:
a) correlates with knowledge about screening mammography;
b) correlates with more negative attitudes about screening mammography;
c) is an independent predictor of poor compliance with screening mammography as determined by self-report

2000-2001

Catherine S. Bradley, MD
Instructor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Fellow, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery

Female Urinary Incontinence:Developing and Pilot Testing a Diagnostic Questionnaire

Project Aim: To develop and pilot test a diagnostic symptom questionnaire, which can accurately classify women into the most common types of female urinary incontinence.

2000-2001

Jennifer Tjia, MD
Instructor, Medicine
Fellow, Division of General Internal Medicine

The Use of Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer Prevention:
Assessing the Preferences of Minority and Older Women

Project Aim: To obtain data about the extent and determinants of interest in Tamoxifen use for breast cancer prevention by older, lower income, and minority women.

1999-2000

Judd E. Hollander, MD
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine

The Effect of Written Informed Consent on Domestic Violence Screening

Project Aim: To determine whether the use of informed consent biases the results of standardized domestic violence screening assessments in the ED; to compare written versus verbal consent with the prediction that written consent is less efficacious in detecting domestic violence.

1999-2000

Raquel M. Schears, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

Gender Bias in Resuscitation Practices

Project Aim: To determine whether gender bias exists in resuscitation practices used for victims of non-traumatic cardiac arrest.

1999-2000

Sally Yael Segel, MD
Fellow in Maternal Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Duration of Antibiotic Therapy after Pre-term Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes

Project Aim: To determine if the duration of Ampicillin therapy affects the ability of a woman with PPROM to achieve a seven day latency period from rupture of fetal membranes to delivery.

1999-2000

Joseph Bernstein, MD
Assistant Professor, Orthopedic Surgery

Patient Preference for Outcome: The Role of Gender in the Treatment Threshold for Meniscal Tears

Project Aim: To assess gender differences in patient attitudes toward potential treatment outcomes for suspected meniscal tears of the knee.

1999-2000

Allan Gottschalk, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesia

The Impact of Preemptive Analgesia on Pain and Recovery from Major Surgery in Women: Pilot Studies

Project Aim: To obtain pilot data to support a future NIH study focused on gender differences in acute pain therapy by examining the gender variations in impact of preemptive analgesic methods in post-operative pain.

1999-2000

James M. Nicholson, MD
Clinical Instructor and OB Coordinator
Family Practice and Community Medicine

AMOR-IPAT: The Active Management of Risk in Pregnancy at Term: A Prospective Multidisciplinary Pilot Study of Nulliparous Pregnancy

Project Aim: To assess the feasibility of a randomized control trial of the Active Management of Risk in Pregnancy at Term (AMOR-IPAT) protocol, which aims to reduce cesarean section, rates in high-risk pregnancies.

1998-1999

Susan Gennaro DSN, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor, School of Nursing

Project Aim: To compare health outcomes in mothers of term and preterm infants. Controlling for parity, race, age, comparisons were made of two groups of mothers for the first four postpartum months.

1998-1999

Emma J. Brown, PhD, RN, CS
Research Assistant Professor and Coordinator
Center for Urban Health Research
School of Nursing

Barriers to Preventive Health and Primary Care Services for Women Who Use Crack Cocaine

Project Aim: To identify retrospectively the barriers to preventive and primary health care faced by women who use crack cocaine; to describe and classify these structural, financial, and personal barriers; to identify sources of primary care readily available to these women, sources that will then provide ongoing health services to the study sample; to monitor prospectively the women's patterns of using these preventive and primary-care services after barriers have been reduced or eliminated.

1997-1998

Elizabeth Datner, MD
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine

Utilization of the Emergency Medical/911 System as an Identifier of Domestic Violence

Project Aim: To yield important data on the potential for the EMS/911 system to be used to reach out to women at risk of domestic violence- identifying what reasons the domestic violence victims gave for calling 911, as compared to reasons given by non-victims, thereby developing preliminary indicators for future intervention.

1997-1998

Anne Blackwood, MD
Instructor, Medicine
Hematology-Oncology Division
Senior Scholar, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Dr. Blackwood's areas of research interest are molecular epidemiology and cancer genetics, specifically in the development of risk prediction methodologies and preventive interventions in the hereditary breast cancer population.

Modifiers of Breast Canter Risk among BRCA1 Mutation Carriers: Polygene Interactions

Project Aim: To investigate hypotheses related to the modification of breast cancer penetrance among BRCA1 mutation carriers. The risk modifiers being investigated include reproductive factors and the genotypes of several carcinogen-metabolizing genes. This study also investigates possible interactions between these carcinogen-metabolizing genotypes and reproductive factors in modifying breast cancer penetrance among BRCA1 mutation carriers.

1996-1997

Annie Steinberg, MD
Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics
Director, Deafness and Family Communication Center, CSH of CHOP

Lip reading in the Stirrups

Project Aim: Through a series of focus groups, to address deaf women experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about their health and health care experiences.

1995-1996

Joan Von Feldt, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Rheumatology Division

Project Aim: To evaluate the use of an abbreviated cognitive screen which can be used in a practitioner's office to identify and evaluate cognitive dysfunction in a cohort of women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), an illness that more commonly affects women of minority status. The screen has the potential to become a useful tool to follow a patient's clinical response to therapeutic interventions.