LSU Women's Health Research Consortium Successfully Promotes Individual Research Projects
Aubrey Schachter
Class of 2020, Senior Advisor to Women's Health Research Consortium
The LSU Women's Health Research Consortium (WHRC) enters its third year of operation
with much success. Founded by medical students Aubrey Schachter and Ashley Duhon in
2018, the WHRC aims to create a collaborative venue between medical students and faculty
to promote the production of individual research projects. The committee provides
the information needed to guide medical students as they choose, start and complete
high-quality research in the field of women's health.
Historically, medical literature has its basis in research conducted on the diseases
and health care of men. Women have often been left out of major medical trials, and
many guidelines that govern today's medical decision-making have no consideration
of gender. This is especially true for women in minority populations. The WHRC was
formed to address this gap in the medical literature. In addition to this global goal,
the founders of the WHRC identified the need for a structured research environment
to help students gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to carry out their own
original research. The WHRC welcomes all students, residents, and faculty members
with an interest in expanding the field of knowledge on the health care of women.
A unique facet of the WHRC is its emphasis on student-to-student mentorship in research.
WHRC members are encouraged to form research teams with representation from each class,
allowing a mentorship relationship to develop between upper- and lower-classmen that
provides a supportive learning environment throughout the research process. This mentorship
model also ensures that research projects may become longitudinal and continue when
senior students graduate.
Members of the WHRC have produced eight poster presentations and are involved in more
than 30 ongoing projects, in a variety of fields including obstetrics & gynecology,
surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics. The WHRC continues its successes under
the rising leadership of Chairs Polly Gwan and Tina Nguyen, Chair-Elects Katherine
Henry and Madison Lanza, and Senior Advisors Maya Roth and Saman Kamal. Their successes
would not be possible without the invaluable guidance and enthusiasm of Faculty Advisors
Dr. Amelia Jernigan, Dr. Judy Crabtree, and Dr. Stacey Scheib. Any student or faculty
member who would like to become involved with the WHRC can send an email to WHRC@lsuhsc.edu or find more information at: https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/LSUWHRC