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Medical Professionals
Midcareer Vulvodynia Research and Mentoring Project Abstract: This application is in response to the K24 Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research Program Announcement (PA-00-005), which is designed to provide support for clinicians for protected time to increase their expertise and activities in patient-oriented research and to serve as mentors for beginning clinical investigators. Barbara D. Reed, M.D., M.S.P.H. has developed a research career that focuses on gynecologic disorders of women, with an emphasis on neuroimmunological factors associated with vulvar dysesthesia (vulvodynia). This award would allow her to become increasingly involved with state-of-the-art immunological/neurological technology, to increase multicenter collaborations among vulvodynia researchers, and to further her investigations on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of vulvodynia. Mentoring is also a vital aspect of this award. The award will allow Dr. Reed to augment her own mentoring activities with more junior researchers, while simultaneously developing a program to improve the consistency and accountability of the mentoring of each of the junior investigators throughout her department. Dr. Reed is currently conducting a three-year NICHD-funded project on "Neuroimmunology/cytokine alterations in vulvodynia." This patient-centered case control project assesses specific cytokine/neurokine responses to lymphocyte stimulation and their association with neurohistochemical changes found in vulvar tissue. Further studies on other aspects of the neuroimmune interactions that clarify differences among women with and without vulvodynia are at various stages of development, including assessing the relationship of cytokine production to local and peripheral psychophysical sensory responses of women with vulvodynia and controls, assessment of the immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions and cytokine correlates, evaluation of neuroimmunological changes following treatment, and the use of proteomics for immunological assessment of these women. Support from this award would allow further development, pursuit of funding, and implementation of these projects. Dr. Reed's research experience, ongoing investigations, and mentoring experience provide the context for this expanded program of study, vulvodynia research, and personal and departmental mentoring. The National Vulvodynia Association is a nonprofit organization that strives to improve women's lives through education, support, advocacy and research funding. The NVA is not a medical authority and strongly recommends that you consult your own health care provider regarding any course of treatment or medication. Last Updated on February 2, 2012 |
