Women’s Health Research Symposium connects collaborators, expanding knowledge and opportunities
"If you build it, they will come." This adapted phrase from the movie “Field of Dreams” has set the tone for many endeavors — maintain focus on the result while moving through necessary steps to get there. It also explains the approach taken to build the women’s health research nexus at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
In 2023, The Sarah Ross Soter Women’s Health Research Program was created with a $15 million gift to zero in on the unique biology and health needs of women across the lifespan. The Ohio State College of Medicine’s recent Women’s Health Research Symposium was the first in a series of events focused on expanding team science at the college and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Sara Koenig, PhD, MBOE, senior director of Research Strategy and Operations in the college’s Office of Research, said professionals in seven different colleges and across more than 50 departments and divisions attended this inaugural event which bridged research disciplines, connecting colleagues involved in women’s health research across the university.
Tamar Gur, MD, PhD, the endowed director of the Soter Women’s Health Research Program and an associate professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of Medicine, welcomed attendees, highlighting the importance of expanding knowledge on how certain diseases affect women specifically and differently, and about expanding investment from other stakeholders.
“Our work is garnering national attention,” Dr. Gur said, announcing that the College of Medicine was selected for membership in the Milken Women’s Health Research Network, “laying the groundwork for future partnership opportunities.”
Partnerships will expand vital research and, according to Dr. Gur, drive the ability to create innovative solutions and treatments for patients, communities and future generations.
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, the new CEO of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, and the inaugural Jeri B. Block and Robert H. Schottenstein Distinguished Chair in Cancer, delivered the symposium’s keynote address. Her early interest in biology led her to work with teams studying biological mechanisms to aid drug developers in creating effective kidney cancer treatments. She said that the study of cancer in women benefits everyone, males and females, where it optimizes knowledge as well as the ability to effectively diagnose cancer and deliver care. She also remarked on how the current cancer research environment challenges teams to think differently and respect that any team member can bring forth new knowledge and teach others.
“We now have a broad integration of data on the biology and physiology of health and disease across interdisciplinary teams,” Dr. Rathmell said. “This will inform how we work in science, who we engage with, including stakeholders in the community, and how we transform and modernize translational research and clinical trials.”
Presentations from faculty and trainees covered topics including the role of the gut microbiome in moderating response in ovarian cancer, as well as estrogenic pathways and sex-specific risk of cardiovascular disease associated with obesity and diabetes.
Ayodola Anise, senior director of the Milken Institute Women’s Health Innovation Network, delivered a presentation on the development of programs that address key areas in women’s health research and policy. Facilitated poster sessions and a strategy meeting to enhance collaboration followed. The event ended when the 2025 Soter Summit Award winners provided key advancements and future direction of their work.
“It was a great pleasure to partner with Dr. Gur to host the inaugural event and see the breadth of women’s health research already occurring across the university,” Dr. Koenig said.
