Duke Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholars - Project Summary/Abstract The long-term goal of the Duke Women’s Reproductive Health Research (WRHR) K12 program is to improve women’s reproductive health through developing cohorts of obstetrician-gynecologist (Ob-Gyn) clinician- scientists with the skills to be outstanding independent researchers, leaders, mentors, and communicators. The program is part of a complementary group of career development programs for women’s health researchers led by faculty in the Department of Ob-Gyn. Research in the Department encompasses the full range of conditions included in Ob-Gyn practice along the continuum of biomedical research, from discovery of causal mechansims, translation of discoveries into interventions, testing those interventions for safety, efficacy, and effectiveness, through implementing effective interventions into practice. Faculty mentors use a full range of innovative methods across all of these areas, including laboratory-based research, observational research, clinical trials, and data analytics and mathematical modeling. A large portion of research opportunities for Scholars focuses on conditions where there are marked disparities in outcomes, with much of the research specifically focusing on developing strategies for reducing those disparities. Duke WRHR Scholars develop skills across five Core Competencies: Responsible Conduct of Research, Grantsmanship and Scientific Communication, Research Design and Methods, Data Management and Analysis, and Leadership, Mentoring, and Team Science. These competencies are developed through two to five years of working on defined research projects with a mentor team, and active participation in program-related meetings, coursework, and other career development activities. The individualized mentoring includes science-based training, as well as development of broader skills specific to a career in academic Ob-Gyn through inclusion of senior Department faculty as Career Mentors and one-on-one work with a physician executive leadership coach. Progress in achieving the core competencies is assessed based on completion of specific requirements and milestones adapted individually for each Scholar with their mentor team and WRHR leadership, and reviewed regularly by our Advisory Committee. Ongoing programmatic evaluation is performed through feedback from Scholars, mentors, and the Advisory Committee, and formal external review. Our three Scholars to date have been highly productive as researchers, publishing high-impact work in gynecologic cancer, contraception, and maternal morbidity, and have numerous grants in review. The Program has been significantly enhanced by the recruitment of senior funded faculty experienced in both laboratory-based and observational research, and a restructuring of the Department’s research administration infrastructure. The structured training program, availability of a diverse pool of experienced mentors using a wide range of approaches and methods, and significant institutional commitment will allow the Duke WRHR to continue to develop the next generation of leaders in women’s reproductive health research.
