The Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai was created through a generous donation by the Blavatnik Family and co-sponsored by the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science and the Department of Population Health Science and Policy. The Institute was founded to advance and promote research related to women’s health across the life span, as well as to advocate for quality health care for all women regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or age.
Our aim is to create and continuously expand on research in key areas affecting the health of all women, including mental health and depression; LGBTQ+ health; gynecological oncology and global health; disparities and health equity research; maternal and infant morbidity and mortality; reproductive endocrinology and fertility; and quality of care. We have a faculty of public health scholars, physician-scientists, data analysts, and experts in a range of fields in women’s health dedicated to fulfilling this goal.
Our Institute is committed to advancing science in women’s health. Our goal is to optimize quality of care for women across the life span and to narrow gaps in treatment and outcomes in underserved populations. While my research addresses quality of care and racial/ethnic disparities in maternal and child health, my colleagues’ research portfolios span the spectrum of women’s health from pre-adolescence to post-menopause.
There has been tremendous growth in advocacy, educational programs, and specialties in women’s health, but there is still much more to do. More than 50,000 women each year suffer severe pregnancy-related complications in the United States; more than 80,000 women are affected annually by ovarian and endometrial cancer; and one in eight women suffer major depression in their lifetime. Plus, many of these conditions vary widely by socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity, creating large disparities in women’s health.
Through our Institute’s rigorous interdisciplinary research program, we aim to improve quality of care and to alleviate those disparities. Together we are committed to improving the health and well-being of women in New York City and beyond.
The goal of this blog is to bring evidence-based research on women’s health to the public, to place important issues affecting all women to the forefront, to highlight health inequities in women’s health, and to promote sustainable solutions that advance clinical care and narrow disparities. In this blog, we will share new research in women’s health, new policies affecting women’s health, and personal stories of women and their caregivers navigating the U.S. health care system.
We look forward to sharing our passions and knowledge.
Elizabeth A Howell, MD, MPP
Professor of Population Health Science & Policy
Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science
Director, Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute
System Vice Chair for Research, Dept. of Obstetrics Gynecology, and Reproductive Science
Associate Dean for Academic Development
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai