On September 17, the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research hosted Maria Shriver and Sharon Malone, MD, at the 2024 Annual Community Event to discuss advances in women’s health research and the work still ahead. 

“Our center was created in response to the fact that medical research at every stage ‒ from basic, to clinical and translational ‒ had for too long lacked the essential representation of so many — and specifically women,” said Donald Elliman, chancellor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “It took the advocacy of countless scientists, researchers and advocates to bring about a sea change, which has transformed biomedical research and informed advances in modern medicine.”  

Shriver is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and NBC News special anchor. She is a passionate and forceful advocate for women’s health research. The fireside chat was moderated by Malone, a nationally recognized OB/GYN, certified menopause practitioner and author of Grown Woman Talk. 

Shriver noted, “We talk a lot about pushing the boulder of women’s health up the hill when it comes to politics or when it comes to policy. But on the ground, what you are doing here, the change you are making — listening to the work here today from the emergency rooms to neonatal work —is so exciting to me.”  

Featured Research from 20 Years of Progress 

Stacy Trent, MD, Ludeman Center researcher and associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, spoke about her work as an emergency medicine physician at Denver Health. As someone who treats patients having a heart attack, Trent knows firsthand the differences in how men and women present with symptoms. In addition, she has worked to provide guidelines for physicians treating heart attacks in women so there are fewer delays in care and better outcomes. Trent noted her recently published work on high-sensitivity troponins and how to appropriately incorporate these tests into clinical care for women. “What is unique about this test is that it can measure much lower levels of troponin in the blood than older tests. This is significant because it has allowed us to identify that men and women are not the same. We have different thresholds for what is normal, and that level is much lower for women than it is for men,” said Trent.   

Finally, Tracy Bale, PhD, the inaugural chair holder of The Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women’s Integrated Mental and Physical Health and professor in the Department of Psychiatry, talked about the Ludeman Center’s decision to expand its areas of focus to include the intersection of mental and physical health. “In 2019, the Ludeman Center wisely decided to expand its focus areas. As we know, women are more likely to experience depression and anxiety and have a higher risk for other behavioral health disorders. It was only fitting that the Ludeman Center would add mental health as its third area of focus,” said Bale. 

Celebrating 20 Years 

This year marks the 20thanniversary of the Ludeman Center. Since 2004, the Ludeman Center has invested over $3 million in women’s health and sex differences research. For every dollar invested through the Early-Career Faculty Research Development Awards, Ludeman Center researchers receive $69 in additional funding from external sources such as the National Institutes of Health. In total, over 100 researchers have received funding, mentorship and training and over 90% have stayed in academic medicine.  

The Annual Community Event raises funds for the operations and critical programming provided by the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research.  “Since the early 2000s, we have joined with the community to bring focus and resources to women’s health research and thus better address health equity,” said Judy Regensteiner, PhD, distinguished professor of medicine, co-founder and director of the Ludeman Center. “Scientific research is more important now than ever. We must gain greater knowledge about women’s health and sex differences to provide optimal healthcare for all.”