Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus

The NIH celebrated the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Office of Research on Women’s Health on September 27, 2010. This marked the historic founding of the very first office in the federal government to focus on the health of girls and women and to address issues of importance for women in biomedical careers. The formation of the Office was in specific response to concerns about the lack of inclusion of women in federally funded clinical studies and to reassure the women’s health advocacy and scientific communities, and Members of Congress that future research will include sex/ gender distinctions. Thus the Office began to establish programs, policies and priorities to meet its mandate to (1) ensure the inclusion of women and minorities in clinical research studies; (2) enhance and increase research; (3) expand the concepts of women’s health to address the lifespan; (4) implement programs to advance careers of women in science AND promote both men and women as researchers in the field of women’s health.
 
NOW, 20 years later, on September 27th, the NIH held a scientific symposium to highlight some of the scientific advances that have increased our understanding of women’s health, the differences between males and females, and implications for sex/gender appropriate clinical care and personalized medicine. At the same time, the Office unveiled and launched the third scientific agenda for women’s health research for the coming decade.  More than 1400 women’s health advocates, scientists, professional associations, health care providers and the lay public met in 5 regional meetings to contribute to the construct of the new research vision for women’s health, entitled Moving Into the Future – New Directions and Strategies for Women’s Health Research for the NIH.”
 
The daylong celebration, to include a reception, provided a forum to recognize some of the major contributors to the establishment of the office and to progress in the field of women’s health research realized through the dedicated work of an entire generation of researchers – women and men. More importantly is a desire to recognize and hear from early stage investigators who represent the promise of the future of sex differences research at the basic and clinical levels with implications for improving the health of women, their families, and their communities both nationally and globally. The dedication that helped to create ORWH continues to be a strong motivating factor in support of women’s health research today and for the future. The 20th anniversary celebration will acknowledge the success of all those advocates who worked tirelessly to energize support and set the stage for the realization of a vision -- the Office of Research on Women’s Health and a trans-NIH attention to lifespan issues of women’s health and the science of sex differences research.     

Sponsors