Women’s Health: A Physiological Analysis
The American Physiological Society (APS), Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), and InsideScientific are pleased to announce a joint webinar series covering late-breaking research, novel discovery, fundamental principles, and research innovation in the field of women’s health and related disease models.
This program of interactive live events includes scientific lectures from leading researchers around the world focused on innovative laboratory techniques central to research and related models of disease in the field of women’s health.
Topics
Headache & Migraine
Autoimmune Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cardiovascular Function
Hypertension
Preeclampsia
Endometriosis & PCOS
Menopause
Autonomic Dysfunction
Breast Cancer
Series Presentations
Genetic and Hormonal Components of Sex Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease
NOW ON-DEMAND
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: WED, SEPT 11, 2024
This presentation will highlight the state of play in the literature with regard to sex differences in prevalence and incidence rates of dementia. Dr. Buckley will touch upon the well characterized issue of women being underdiagnosed with dementia due to the fact that they perform much better than men on many neuropsychological tests. She will refer to her work that has shown consistently, and across many independent cohorts, that women show elevated levels of tauopathy in the brain relative to men. After demonstrating these sex differences in these clinical AD-related outcomes, she will turn to the question of whether they might be driven by sex steroid hormones or the X chromosome. She will end the talk by touching upon the reasons why we care about sex differences, particularly from a clinical trials perspective. In addition, she will present her working framework for where she thinks the field stands and what gaps remain in the literature.
Key Learning Objectives:
- The extent to which sex differences exist in Alzheimer’s disease risk
- How sex steroid hormones and the X chromosome play a role in moderating this risk
- Understand the importance of sex disaggregating findings, both in observational research and also in clinical trials
Metabolic Mechanisms that Contribute to Pregnancy-Induced Cardiac Growth and its Reversal
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ORIGINAL AIRDATE: WED, OCT 16, 2024
In this webinar, Dr. Collins describes the current state of knowledge regarding the cardiovascular adaptations during a healthy pregnancy and the potential risk factors for developing pregnancy-associated cardiovascular diseases. She also describes work from her laboratory focused on understanding the underlying metabolic mechanisms contributing to pregnancy-induced cardiac growth, utilizing multi-omics approaches. Specifically, she describes the contributions of the ancillary biosynthetic pathways of glucose metabolism, which provide the building blocks to facilitate cardiac growth, and the contributions of myocardial ketone body metabolism in maintaining mitochondrial energetics in the maternal heart.
Key Learning Objectives
- Discuss the maternal mortality crisis in the United States
- Describe cardiovascular changes and adaptations that occur during normal pregnancy
- Highlight adverse cardiovascular changes that can occur during pregnancy
- Discuss potential metabolic mechanisms contributing to pregnancy-induced cardiac growth and its reversal
Effects of Ovarian Failure on Muscle Form and Function
NOW ON-DEMAND
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: WED, OCT 30, 2024
Utilizing an occupational chemical called VCD, which induces gradual ovarian failure, Parastoo’s work offers a nuanced perspective on the time-course changes in muscle function throughout menopause. She discusses her findings on the contractile properties of skeletal muscles at the single fiber level as well as explores morphological alterations, particularly focusing on fatty infiltration and fibrosis in muscles post-ovarian failure, which will have implications on overall muscle health and function. This session also highlights the broader implications of these changes, emphasizing the importance of studying the perimenopause phase. Parastoo discusses how understanding the physiological changes during this critical transitional phase can lead to potential strategies for mitigating the negative effects of menopause on women’s health.
Key Learning Objectives
- Understand the VCD model: Gain insights into the VCD (4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide) model of chemically induced ovarian failure and its advantages over the ovariectomy (OVX) model
- Explore skeletal muscle changes: Learn about the impact of gradual ovarian failure on the contractile properties and morphology of skeletal muscles
- Time course changes of menopause: Understand the importance of studying menopause as a dynamic process rather than a singular timepoint, and how this perspective can lead to more accurate interpretations of research findings
- Evaluate broader implications: Consider the broader implications of menopause-related muscle changes on women’s health and potential future direction suggestions for the field to help identify strategies for mitigating negative effects
Parastoo Mashouri, MSc
PhD Candidate
Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
University of Guelph
Sponsored by:
Sympathetic Regulation in Human Pregnancy
NOW ON-DEMAND
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, NOV 13, 2024
Normal pregnancy is associated with dramatic changes in maternal hemodynamics, which can be detected as early as 4 weeks of gestation and reach a plateau in the second trimester. It has been proposed that maternal hemodynamic changes during pregnancy occur through sympathetic neural mechanisms. However, the actual role of the sympathetic nervous system in blood pressure regulation during normotensive and hypertensive pregnancy remains largely unclear. In this webinar, Dr. Fu reviews longitudinal changes in sympathetic neural control in normal (uncomplicated) and hypertensive pregnancy. She also discusses the impact of maternal obesity versus gestational weight gain on sleep apnea risk, sympathetic (re)activity, and pregnancy outcomes.
Key Learning Objectives
- Review maternal hemodynamic changes during normal pregnancy
- Describe sympathetic neural control in normotensive and hypertensive pregnancy
- Determine the impact of maternal obesity versus gestational weight gain on sleep apnea risk and sympathetic regulation in pregnancy
Qi Fu, MD, PhD
Professor
Cardiology, Internal Medicine
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Sponsored by:
Preeclampsia: From Hippocrates to Contemporary Research
NOW ON-DEMAND
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, NOV 20, 2024
Preeclampsia is a multisystem hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that affects 5-8% of all pregnancies and significantly increases risk of long-term cardiovascular disease-related maternal mortality and morbidity. Preeclampsia was first described by Hippocrates in Ancient Greece. Despite advancements in biology and medicine since 400 BC, the etiology of preeclampsia remains unknown, and it is still a leading cause of maternal deaths. In this webinar, Dr. Stella Goulopoulou discusses her research on the role of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA in preeclampsia pathogenesis and outcomes.
Key Learning Objectives
- Define theoretical models of preeclampsia pathogenesis
- Describe the contribution of the placenta to circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA in preeclampsia
- Define the inflammatory and vasoactive effects of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA in preeclampsia
Stella Goulopoulou, MS, PhD
Associate Professor
Lawrence Longo Center for Perinatal Biology
Loma Linda University
Pathophysiology of Endometriosis: Current Concepts and Clinical Translations
NOW ON-DEMAND
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, DEC 4, 2024
Endometriosis is a prevalent gynecologic condition resulting in pelvic pain and infertility defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma in locations outside the uterus, most notably the pelvic peritoneum, the ovaries and/or the rectovaginal space. Molecular hallmarks of endometriosis include estrogen dependence, attenuated progesterone action, neuroangiogenesis, chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Despite progress, significant clinical gaps remain in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of this disease.
In this webinar, Dr. Rick Burney reviews the evidence supporting the current understanding of endometriosis pathogenesis and pathophysiology, recent advances that leverage this understanding, and the clinical translation challenges that remain.
Key Learning Objectives
- Discuss endometriosis pathogenesis and the molecular underpinnings of the disease
- Understand current limitations in the diagnosis of endometriosis
- Review the implications of endometriosis on the approach to fertility treatment
- Describe the two-pronged approach for the management of endometriosis-associated pain
Rick Burney, MD, MSc
Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, DEC 11, 2024
In this webinar, Dr. Licy Yanes Cardozo presents the heightened cardiovascular risks in people with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), the mechanisms underlying these risks, current treatments available, potential new therapies, and the existing knowledge gaps in women’s health research.
Key Learning Objectives
- To review the cardiovascular risk factors associated with hyperandrogenemia in PCOS
- To identify critical mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS
- To describe the current therapeutic agents available in the clinic to treat cardiovascular risk factors in PCOS
- Discuss novel therapeutic agents that could treat cardiovascular disease in people with PCOS
- Identify knowledge gaps in women’s health research
Licy Yanes Cardozo, MD
Professor
Cell and Molecular Biology and Medicine
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Migraine: Past, Present, and Future
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, JAN 22, 2025
Migraine is a highly prevalent neurologic disease affecting approximately 12% of the global population, disproportionately affecting women. 1 in 5 women, 1 in 11 children, and 1 in 16 men have migraine. Migraine is a leading cause of disability worldwide. In fact, it is the #1 leading cause of years lived with disability for women in their most productive years. In the disease of migraine, people may experience severe, debilitating recurrent attacks of head pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and movement. The pathophysiology of migraine involves complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors in the setting of abnormal neurologic function.
Join Dr. Amaal Starling to explore the impact of migraine, the current understanding of its pathophysiology, available treatment options, and the persistent knowledge gaps in addressing this disabling neurologic disease.
Key Learning Objectives
- Highlight the impact of migraine due to prevalence and disability
- Review the current understanding of migraine pathophysiology
- Explore the current treatment options for migraine
- Identify the persistent knowledge gaps in migraine
Amaal J. Starling, MD
Associate Professor
Neurology
Mayo Clinic
Hormonal and Chromosomal Influences on Autoimmunity and Lupus
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, JAN 29, 2025
Autoimmune diseases affect over 8% of the population. There is a significant genetic component, such that they cluster in families and even in a single individual. One of the most salient characteristics of autoimmune diseases is that most preferentially affect women. There has long been a debate whether this reflects hormonal or chromosomal influences. We now know both are involved.
Most autoimmune diseases are characterized by the presence of autoantibodies, and many of these contribute to tissue injury and autoimmune pathology. It is clear that B cell maturation and selection is altered by hormonal milieu. The implications for autoimmune disease are still being elucidated.
This presentation focuses on the historical and current understanding of hormonal and chromosomal influences on autoimmunity with particular attention to B cell selection and activation.
Betty Diamond, MD
Professor of Molecular Medicine
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
Melissa Cunningham, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
Medicine
Medical University of South Carolina
Challenges and Opportunities for Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, FEB 5, 2025
Invasive breast cancer is a major cause of disease and death among women. In particular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a subtype of breast cancer that is clinically aggressive with high rates of metastasis and recurrence, disproportionately affects women of African descent and carriers of germline BRCA and PALB2 mutations. Amongst younger patients with breast cancer, the TNBC subtype was associated with higher pathologic stage and worse long-term survival.
In this webinar, Dr. Rosner will present some of the key challenges we face in trying to eliminate metastatic breast cancer. She will present different strategies for trying to effectively target metastatic disease and, based upon her work, some novel approaches to addressing these problems.
Key Learning Objectives:
- An understanding of the genetic and non-genetic drivers of metastatic breast cancer
- Explore the limitations of current approaches to treatment of metastatic breast cancer
- Consider other strategies for targeting breast cancer
Marsha Rosner, PhD
Charles B. Huggins Distinguished Service Professor
Ben May Department for Cancer Research
University of Chicago
New Treatments for Vasomotor Symptoms Due to Menopause
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, FEB 19, 2025
Join us for an enlightening webinar with Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton as we delve into the vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, the current understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved, and the pharmacotherapies and treatments available.
Key Learning Objectives:
- Highlight the impact of menopause and vasomotor symptoms
- Evaluate traditional treatment options for VMS due to menopause
- Review the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms that result in VMS
- Explore new pharmacotherapeutic therapies for VMS-neurokinin antagonists
JoAnn V. Pinkerton, MD
Professor
Obstetrics and Gynecology
The University of Virginia
Hypertension and Hypothalamic Changes in Menopause
NOW ON-DEMAND!
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: WED, FEB 26, 2025
In this webinar, Dr. Teresa Milner presents research using a mouse model of accelerated ovarian failure to explore estrogen’s role in menopausal hypertension, highlighting the therapeutic potential of estrogen receptor beta agonists during menopause transition. The presentation focuses on understanding the role of estrogen in menopausal hypertension, a topic previously complicated by confounding factors such as aging and the use of preclinical models that fail to adequately replicate natural menopause. Researchers have utilized a mouse model of accelerated ovarian failure (AOF), induced by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), to better simulate early and late stages of human menopause. This model has been instrumental in isolating the effects of estrogen on neurogenic hypertension, particularly in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a crucial brain region for blood pressure regulation. The studies highlight that in the peri-AOF stage, hypertension is linked to a signaling pathway involving estrogen receptor beta (ERb) and the NMDA-type glutamate receptor in PVN neurons.
Key Learning Objectives
- The accelerated ovarian failure (AOF) mouse model mimics the hormonal changes (especially estrogen) seen in human perimenopause and postmenopause.
- Slow-pressor angiotensin (AngII) infusion results in hypertension in peri-AOF, post-AOF female mice and male mice but not young female mice.
- Following hypertension, peri-AOF and post-AOF mice have distinct changes in the distribution of glutamatergic NMDA (GluN1) and AMPA (GluA1) receptors in estrogen receptor beta (ERb) containing paraventricular hypothalamic (PVN) neurons.
- Hypertensive peri-AOF mice have heightened GluN1 signaling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in ERb-containing PVN dendrites.
- Cyclic ERb agonist administration reduced hypertension in AngII-treated peri-AOF females, but not AngII-treated males, and suppressed NMDA receptor signaling in ERb-expressing PVN neurons.
