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Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice

In October 2006, the Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) at Meharry officially opened its doors, but the mission of developing culturally sensitive models of research and interventions is one the medical college has long embraced.

“The whole purpose was to create a centralized location where we could bring together bench scientists and clinical scientists who were working toward the elimination of health disparities in women’s health,” explained Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, executive director of the CWHR and dean of the School of Medicine. “Bench to bedside to community … the ultimate goal is to get interventions into the community at a faster pace.”

Montgomery Rice, who also serves as senior vice president of health affairs for Meharry, added that by bringing basic and clinical scientists together physically, the center has been able to leverage their intellect to address issues facing women today in an integrated and holistic manner.

The CWHR is divided into multiple cores: the Radiology Core houses digital mammography and ultrasound equipment, plus a bone density room; the Fitness Core concentrates on exercise and nutrition and includes a gym; the Behavioral Core utilizes focus groups and wisdom circles to delve into difficult questions; and the Endocrine Core looks at the key roles hormones play in impacting women’s health. There are also cellular, tissue culture and endocrine laboratories on site.

While the center is focused on a wide array of women’s health issues that impact a large sector of the female population, researchers specifically concentrate on those concerns that disproportionately affect women by race or ethnicity.

Although access is often pinpointed as a cause for disproportionate disease burden — and undeniably plays a role — Montgomery Rice noted that in trials where the research team is able to control for access, health disparities still exist, particularly for women of color.

“By the year 2050, 60 percent of the women in this country will be women of color,” Montgomery Rice stated. “You’d better figure out why you have that disparity because it means the majority population will be impaired.”



May 2008

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