- Nov 30, 2020: Aim for 20/20 Vision in 2021The ORWH 30th Anniversary Virtual Meeting Series: Advancing the Health of Women Through Science
- Nov 17, 2020: ORWH’s Strategic Approach to COVID-19 ResponseSuccessful navigation of a public health emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic requires short- and long-term strategies.
- Oct 14, 2020: Toward an Improved Vision for Maternal Health and Pregnancy OutcomesThe high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM) in the U.S. constitute a public health crisis, yet up to 60% of these deaths are preventable.
- Oct 08, 2020: Social Determinants of Health: Like Water to a FishAs everyone knows, fish live in water—with all its oxygen, nutrients, predators, and pollutants. That’s the environment in which fish thrive or languish. It affects their physiology, behavior, and survival. Similarly, society is our water, and the social determinants of health (SDOH) have a pervasive influence on us and our health—for good and bad, just as with fish.
- Sep 02, 2020: NIH Launches Challenge Prize to Help Address Gender Diversity and Equity Problems Faced by Faculty in Higher EducationI am pleased to announce that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women’s Health has launched a new Challenge Prize competition to promote the advancement of women in leadership roles in higher education.
- Aug 04, 2020: Guest Blog—COVID-19 and Women’s HealthSince March 11 of this year, when the respiratory illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a pandemic, close to 700,000 people have died.
- Jun 11, 2020: How Sex and Gender Affect Health (And Why Knowing Matters)Medical schools are falling short. Despite the fact that women make up 50% of the population, schools’ curricula too often do not address how diseases and treatments affect women differently than men.
- Apr 27, 2020: Sleep’s an Important Part of the Health Equation—Now More than EverHere’s a wake-up call: Did you know that adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night for good physical and mental health?
- Apr 08, 2020: Black Maternal Health: Amplify the Conversation and ActBlack women die from pregnancy complications two to three times more than their White and Hispanic counterparts, according to a January 30, 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report containing the first national data on maternal deaths in the United States since 2007.
- Mar 04, 2020: We Need More History Makers: NIH and ORWH’s Plan to Create Them Women’s History Month celebrates the inspiring contributions of women who have shaped the world. From the arts to politics to science, women—despite many obstacles—have made the world a better place for everyone.
- Feb 11, 2020: Women’s Heart Health: The Heart of the MatterCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death among women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. However, in a 2005 study, a surprisingly high number of physicians were not aware of the extent of CVD risks for women.
- Jan 27, 2020: ORWH Celebrates 30th AnniversaryThis year is shaping up to be a momentous year for women’s health. For starters, ORWH celebrates its 30th anniversary—and with it NIH’s continued elevation of women’s health as “an integral part of the scientific fabric at NIH and throughout the scientific community.”
- Oct 01, 2019: Guest Blog—Intimate Partner Violence: Raising Awareness, Taking ActionImagine a crowded sidewalk. More than 1 in 4 of the women there—walking, talking, and going about their business—have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lives. They may have experienced physical violence (e.g., slapping, hitting, and choking), sexual contact without consent, or stalking (repeated unwanted attention and contact that causes safety concerns) by current or former intimate partners.
- Sep 26, 2019: ORWH Contributes $1 Million to NIH HEAL Initiative to Evaluate Impact of Opioids on Human DevelopmentOne of our goals at the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is to help ensure that every woman receives—across her life course—evidence-based disease prevention and treatments tailored to her own needs, circumstances, and goals.
- Sep 24, 2019: Research Shows Us How to Address Underrepresentation of Women in Academic Medicine; Now Let’s Finish the JobThe academic medicine talent pool, long recognized as a vital component of that engine, is operating without a full complement of cylinders, creating an untold number of missed opportunities that the Nation cannot afford. What do I mean? Not everyone who is talented and desires a career in biomedical research is included, welcomed, and supported. I’m talking about women—and women of color especially.
- Jul 17, 2019: A Game-Changing Pledge to Bring Greater Diversity to Scientific PanelsWorking at NIH, I often see the amazing advancements and achievements made by the biomedical research enterprise. One recent important advance is not a scientific finding or new technology, but a strong stand on principle made by NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. In his announcement, Time to End the Manel Tradition, Dr. Collins pledged to speak only at scientific events “where scientists of all backgrounds are evaluated fairly for speaking opportunities,” which will result in inclusive agendas for the meetings.
- Jul 11, 2019: July Is National Dry Eye Awareness MonthDr. Clayton Answers Questions About This Common Eye Condition. Are your eyes often irritated—as if dust or sand were in them? Do your eyes sting or burn? Are they sensitive to light? Has driving at night or wearing contact lenses become more difficult? If so, you may have dry eye disease.
- May 07, 2019: National Women’s Health Week/Strategic PlanThe NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health has joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) to observe the 20th anniversary of National Women’s Health Week (NWHW), May 12–18.
- Aug 22, 2018: Epigenetics and the Health of Future GenerationsWe typically learn in school how parents pass along their genes to their children, and how those genes can influence their children’s characteristics. Statements like — "She has her mother’s eyes" and "He has his father’s dimples" — are not uncommon...
- May 15, 2018: National Women’s Health Week: A Reminder that Putting Yourself First Doesn’t Mean Putting Others LastNational Women's Health Week is a time when we shine a national spotlight on the health of women and encourage women to make their own health a priority...
- Mar 20, 2018: Celebrating Women’s History MonthDuring March, we celebrate Women's History Month to recognize the extraordinary achievements of women. At the Office of Research on Women's Health, we are acknowledging the contributions of women scientists and clinicians...
- Feb 26, 2018: Celebrating American Heart MonthCelebrating American Heart Month
- Jan 25, 2018: Celebrating National Mentoring MonthDr. Clayton discuss the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on Women’s Health
- Nov 03, 2017: Make Your Voice Heard: The NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on Women’s HealthDr. Clayton discusses the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on Women’s Health.
- Oct 06, 2017: Women in Medicine Month: NIH Leaders (Blog 3 of 3)Dr. Clayton highlights NIH Leaders
- Sep 28, 2017: Women in Medicine Month: Distinguished Deans (Blog 2 of 3)Dr. Clayton highlights distinguished deans at medical schools
- Sep 15, 2017: Women in Medicine Month: Taking Stock (Blog 1 of 3)Dr. Clayton discusses women in science
- Mar 22, 2017: One Year Into the NIH SABV Policy, Sex and Gender in Science Gain SteamDr. Clayton discusses growing interest in potential role of sex and gender in health and science.
- Feb 14, 2017: We Need All Hands on Deck for Women's Heart HealthDr. Clayton discusses the importance of women's heart health.
- Nov 16, 2016: Into Our 26th Year, Confident and CommittedDr. Clayton discusses the 26th year.
- Oct 28, 2016: NCI Launches a Landmark Study on Breast Cancer in African-American WomenDr. Clayton interviews Dr. Damali Martin about NCI's Breast Cancer Genetic Study in African-Ancestry Populations.
- Oct 21, 2016: Domestic Violence Awareness: A Task for Everybody, EverywhereDr. Clayton discusses the domestic violence problem and NIH's research on violence against women.
- Oct 13, 2016: An ORWH Concern: Women’s Health Around the WorldDr. Clayton discusses why global health is an important part of ORWH's work.
- Sep 29, 2016: Meeting the Challenge of Sickle Cell DiseaseFor National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Dr. Clayton discusses the disease and efforts to address it taking place across NIH.
- Jun 03, 2016: Using Science to Achieve Workforce DiversityDr. Clayton discusses the investments that NIH and others have been making to investigate why women are underrepresented in the scientific workforce.
- May 06, 2016: Women’s Health Research: 25 Years of Progress (and Counting)In commemoration of National Women's Health Week, Dr. Clayton reflects on the contributions of champions who helped establish the field of women's health research.
- Apr 25, 2016: Minority Health: A Milestone on the Road to Precision MedicineORWH, NIH, and FDA offer resources to help investigators recruit the most diverse populations for their clinical studies.
- Mar 01, 2016: American Heart Month: A Time to ReflectHeart disease research highlights the importance of investigating sex differences. Given the value of covering health differences between men and women in medical curricula, ORWH offers courses on sex and gender for continuing medical education credit.
- Feb 01, 2016: Sex as a Biological Variable: A Step Toward Stronger Science, Better HealthORWH announces new criteria for evaluating grants on how they factor sex as a biological variable into research designs, analyses, and reporting in vertebrate animal and human studies.
- Oct 31, 2015: Happy 25th Birthday, ORWH!In celebration of ORWH's 25th anniversary, 200 people gathered for a special hearing on Capitol Hill. Dr. Clayton reflects on the office's founding and its future outlook.
- Sep 04, 2015: Keeping Scientists in Science: NIH Re-Issues Re-Entry Supplements Funding OpportunityAn NIH-wide program provides up to 3 years of funding for candidates with a doctoral degree who left active research and want to return. Eighty-one percent of participants have secured a scientific research position.
- Aug 11, 2015: Summer Science Sizzles!New research findings on the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in men versus women, how pain signals are relayed, and the effect of smoking on brain activity illustrate how sex influences brain biology.
- Jun 09, 2015: Considering Sex as a Biological Variable: In the NIH GuideA notice this week announces momentum toward new instructions for applicants on enhancing reproducibility through rigor and transparency by addressing sex as a biological variable.
- May 20, 2015: Listening to Our Stakeholders On Considering Sex as a Biological VariableDr. Clayton and NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Sally J. Rockey, Ph.D., give an update on planning for a new policy on sex as a biological variable in preclinical research.
- Mar 09, 2015: Toward More Individualized Medicine: Introducing the Women of Color Health Data Book, Fourth EditionThis post introduces the fourth edition of the Women of Color Health Data Book, a compilation of data on race/ethnicity and disease with relevant discussions of various factors that affect the health status of women of color.
- Nov 07, 2014: Back to Basics: New Publishing Guidelines to Enhance Reproducibility and RelevanceThis week, Science and Nature report on new principles and guidelines in reporting preclinical research that were developed at a meeting organized in conjunction with NIH.
- Sep 23, 2014: Stepping Stones to the FutureDr. Clayton; James Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.; and Elizabeth Wilder, Ph.D., announce $10 million in administrative supplement grants so that a sex/gender lens can be added to currently funded research projects.
- Sep 11, 2014: A Conversation Worth HavingNIH releases a Request for Information seeking input from the research community and others on key questions about the consideration of sex in NIH-funded studies.
- Jun 27, 2014: Answering Questions on Considering Males and Females in Preclinical ResearchA Q & A guide is now available to answer questions about new NIH policies being developed to expand the consideration of sex in biomedical research with animals and cells.
- Jun 23, 2014: Women Can Soar in STEMAn update from the White House Summit on Working Families highlights findings from NIH-funded research examining why women may not progress to their full potential in the scientific workplace.
- May 14, 2014: Questions Worth Asking of Science on Mother’s Day — and Every DayHighlighted on the occasion of National Women's Health Week, the Women's Health Research in Review slideshow catalogues advancements in women's health in recent decades.
- May 14, 2014: Filling the Gaps: NIH to Enact New Policies to Address Sex DifferencesNature publishes an announcement from NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Clayton about a plan requiring grant applicants to address sex-based considerations and analyses in preclinical research.
- Mar 31, 2014: Science Gets a Second ChanceResearch grant supplements issued through a new ORWH program are giving scientists the opportunity to strengthen their research by adding a sex/gender lens to their currently funded research.
- Feb 14, 2014: Sex Is in the News… And It MattersCBS' 60 Minutes and the Huffington Post take up the topic of sex differences in disease and responses to medication, shining a light on the importance of women's health research.
- Jan 01, 2014: The Three Rs of Good ScienceRigor, reproducibility, and relevance drive good science, and ORWH is shining a light on one area where research sometimes comes up short: accounting for differences between males and females.
- Jun 01, 2013: Smoking: It's Never too Late to Quit But Women May Find It's HarderSmoking affects women and men differently, and these differences influence the ability to quit. Research on sex differences in health is advancing understanding of aspects such as differing responses to nicotine.
- May 01, 2013: Focus on May: Healthy Vision MonthTwo-thirds of people worldwide who are visually impaired or blind are female. This National Women's Health Week, learn more about differences between men and women in eye health.
- Apr 01, 2013: Better Health for All Americans – April is Minority Health MonthEthnicity and race play a significant role in the nation's health. As part of its efforts to support the best research toward improving the health of all Americans, ORWH and other institutes make science-based health information available to women of color.
- Mar 01, 2013: Blazing Trails – March is Women’s History MonthToday, NIH-funded research digs deeper to explain why women and men have different health needs, thanks to the efforts of the first woman director of an NIH Institute, the first woman director of NIH, and female lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
- Feb 15, 2013: Studying Sex Differences Provides New Insights into DiseaseORWH advances priorities for research on women's health and sex and gender differences laid out in the NIH Strategic Plan for Women's Health Research. Pursuing these priorities has resulted in progress toward understanding how men's and women's health differs.
- Feb 01, 2013: Women’s Hearts Truly Are Unique: Celebrate Your Heart This February, National Heart Health Awareness MonthResearchers are looking into many aspects of heart disease that are unique in women at the level of cells, structures such as blood vessels, and behavior.
- Jan 15, 2013: Snapshot of Women’s Health in AmericaA new report documents a gap between the health of Americans and that of their peers in other high-income nations, with American women ranking near the bottom. What can be done?
- Jan 01, 2013: Playing in the Sandbox: Advancing Women in ScienceThere has been substantial progress on providing opportunities and support for women in the scientific workforce, but it is equally important to find ways to accelerate change. There is still much to do.