Meet Our Researchers

May 11, 2020

Elissa Kolva, PhD, is combining her passion for patient care and research to build a robust psycho-oncology program at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. This relatively new field helps patients in the CU Cancer Center cope with a serious diagnosis and promotes positive mental health.

Feb 15, 2020

Dr. Woulfe is an Assistant Professor of Cardiology, a 2019 CWHR seed grant recipient, and a current BIRCWH scholar. She is researching cardiomyopathy, a disease that affects the heart muscle and can lead to heart failure.

Oct 7, 2019

Dr. Nadeau is a Professor of Pediatrics and was the first recipient of the CWHR Faculty Development Award in 2006. Her research is primarily focused on adolescents with both type 1 and 2 diabetes.

Aug 9, 2019 by CWHR

Dr. Shah is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Adult Clinic of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC), and a former recipient of a CWHR Faculty Development Award. He recently received a K23 award, which is a National Institutes of Health Career Development grant. Over the next four years, this grant will allow him to study why post-menopausal women with type 1 diabetes have a high risk of bone fractures. Dr. Shah completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his fellowship in Endocrinology in India before joining the BDC, where he has cared for patients with type 1 diabetes for the past six years.

May 1, 2019 by CWHR

An Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Dr. Khazanie specializes in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology. Through her research project supported by the CWHR seed grant, Dr. Khazanie is using data collected at LVAD centers in the U.S. to better understand the social factors that disqualify female patients for LVADs, leading to potential interventions that will make it easier for women to receive the therapies they need.

Feb 1, 2018 by CWHR

I’m really excited about my current work because I feel it’s in perfect alignment with all of my previous training and research interests. I’m eager to study how the disruption of sleep and/or circadian rhythms impacts individual tissues and individual cells. I want to follow this line of research to understand why every cell fundamentally needs sleep to stay healthy.

Jan 1, 2019 by CWHR

Currently, Ramón is working to study how ion channels – certain proteins that regulate the electrical activity of the cells – affect the uterine vasculature during pregnancy, and how that relates to the pathological conditions of pregnancy observed at high altitudes.

Jul 1, 2017 by CWHR

CWHR researcher Dr. Amy Huebschmann’s research is focused on understanding and ultimately removing barriers to exercise in underserved women with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Huebschmann is working to systematically identify which are physiological and which are psychological barriers in order to find the most effective intervention strategies.

Apr 1, 2017 by CWHR

CWHR researcher Dr. Amy Huebschmann’s research is focused on understanding and ultimately removing barriers to exercise in underserved women with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Huebschmann is working to systematically identify which are physiological and which are psychological barriers in order to find the most effective intervention strategies.

Jul 1, 2016 by CWHR

We are finding that girls who are overweight and also have PCOS have many signs of a metabolic syndrome, including pre-diabetes and diabetes, and that most of them have also increased fat in their liver. Our current research is focused on trying to understand what is involved in making this extra liver fat, and I hope to then be able to start a medication trial in the next few years to prevent this.

Jul 1, 2018 by CWHR

In my opinion, I think team science is how we’re going to make big advances in biomedical research. Two heads are better than one, so if we think about questions together, we can make greater steps forward. Everything works better when you can get into a group and share ideas; individuals bring their own strengths to a group which improves the outcome when you’re working within a team.

Sep 1, 2015 by CWHR

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and diabetes, are also risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and women account for two-thirds of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. Kerry wants to understand how these diseases differ between men and women and how sex hormones, namely estrogen, play a role in their onset and progression.

Apr 1, 2015 by CWHR

Long term, I hope to utilize the findings from the CWHR pilot to further inform larger projects looking to improve upon the quality of decisions post-cardiac arrest and limit the implicit bias that may contribute to varying outcomes for women and racial/ethnic minorities.

Sep 1, 2014 by CWHR

CWHR researcher Dr. Kristen Demoruelle wants to know why rheumatoid arthritis affects 3 times more men than women. With rheumatoid arthritis, joint damage occurs as a result of the immune system attacking the joints, and the disease can also adversely affect the heart and lungs..

Apr 1, 2014 by CWHR

CWHR researcher Dr. Amy Huebschmann’s research is focused on understanding and ultimately removing barriers to exercise in underserved women with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Huebschmann is working to systematically identify which are physiological and which are psychological barriers in order to find the most effective intervention strategies.

Jan 1, 2013 by CWHR

Dr. Kao's research works to bring the spirit of Silicon Valley to the study of heart failure. With the mentorship of CWHR founder Dr. JoAnn Lindenfeld and funded by CWHR donors Karen and Steve Leaffer, his research represents a novel approach to personalized medicine.