On Saturday, June 24th the Women’s Health Research Institute hosted its annual Women’s’ Health Science Program (WHSP) for Chicago Public High School students. This year’s theme, “Reproductive Science Saturday,” introduced students to the fields of reproductive science and medicine through interactive lectures and hands-on laboratory experiences led by Northwestern University students, faculty, and staff.

Previous WHSP programs have emphasized the interconnectedness between the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine. New in 2017, the WHSP program added an art component to its traditional STEM focus. “Over the last several years there has been a strong movement to incorporate the arts into STEM education, also known as STEAM. We know that STEM and the arts are often influenced by one another, but that connection runs deeper as the arts can be used as a tool to teach or communicate science,” says Dr. Nicole Woitowich, the WHRI Director of Science Outreach and Education.

WHSP students participated in a STEAM project created by Master’s of Science in Reproductive Science and Medicine student, Megan Runge. Students learned about the hormonal and cellular changes that take place throughout the menstrual cycle and were asked to depict them using canvas, glue, paper, and gemstones. Students created colorful flowers which also serve as a “menstrual cycle clock,” that allows them to keep track of their cycle and reminds them of the physiological changes that take place within the ovary.

“This type of activity engages students in the reproductive sciences, in a way that isn’t traditionally utilized,” Woitowich states. Thrilled with the success of the project, she hopes that the arts continue to remain a part of the WHSP program, “As with any STEM field, we rely on our creativity to generate ideas or solve problems, so it’s important to foster those skills together and early-on.”

For more details on how to create your own menstrual cycle clock or how to incorporate this activity into a classroom, please contact the WHRI at womenshealthresearch@northwestern.edu.

Over 2.7 million women in the United States have suffered from a heart attack [1]. Yet, compared to men, heart attacks remain underdiagnosed, understudied, and undertreated in women [2]. A recent study published in the International Journal of Cardiology examined the medical records of 667 patients who were diagnosed with a heart attack [3]. The authors found that women were 1.5 times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within the first 30 days of a heart attack. Interestingly, women were also more likely to be readmitted for a secondary heart attack or subsequent heart failure compared to men. These findings are consistent with larger population studies [4,5] and in younger patient groups [6].

The authors suggest that several factors may influence the higher rate of readmission.  First, women in this study were older and more likely to have co-morbidities such as chronic kidney disease or diabetes, which may inherently increase the risk of future heart failure. In addition, sociological factors such as quality of life might contribute to readmission. Women are more likely to suffer from depression following a heart attack and, in turn, depression has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the authors note that compared to other reports which suggest women may not receive timely or guideline-specific treatment for heart attacks [2,7], their study did not identify any differences in medical treatment between men and women. Together, this may indicate that women may need additional health management and monitoring to prevent readmission following a heart attack. 

For more information on women and heart disease, consider the following resources:
Northwestern Medicine Program for Women’s Cardiovascular Health
American Heart Association: Go Red for Women

References: 
1. Mozaffarian et al., Circulation. 2015; 131(4):e29-e322.   
2. Mehta et al., Circulation. 2016;133:916-947.
3. Lundbäck et al., Int J Cardiol. 2017; E-pub ahead of print.
4. Chaudhry et al., J Am Heart Assoc. 2014; 3(5): e001197.
5. Dreyer et al., Circulation. 2017 Feb 7;135(6):521-531.
6. Dreyer et al., Circulation. 2015 Jul 21;132(3):158-66.
7. Choi et al., Am J Emerg Med. 2016;34(10):1939-1943.

One might wonder how biological sex may be over looked in human genetic studies, given that the genome itself contains a glaring sex-difference: the presence or absence of the Y chromosome. However, a recent commentary published in the journal, Biology of Sex Differences, highlights the fact that human genetic studies often overlook or under-report sex differences [1]. Similar to trends in other fields, the authors found that only 1% of studies which look for genetic links to diseases and disorders, otherwise known as genome-wide association studies, report results based on sex. They posit that while investigators are more than likely considering sex-differences, the complex datasets generated by genome-wide studies are typically analyzed by simple statistical methods in order to identify the most significant results. Thus, the data may not be analyzed directly by sex to increase statistical power. Alternatively, data sets which are analyzed by sex, but do not identify any apparent sex-differences, may never be reported. The authors provide the following recommendations for incorporating sex into genetic study design:

• Perform separate analyses on male and female data 
• Utilize publically-available data sets to increase sample size
• Encourage journals to require the reporting of sex statistics.

To read the full article, “From sexless to sexy: Why it is time for human genetics to consider and report analyses of sex,” click here.  

References:

1. Powers et al., Biology of Sex Differences. 2017; 8:15 

Throughout the 2016-2017 academic year, Northwestern University medical students have taken an active role in advancing women’s health. Students participated in workshops and activities sponsored by the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) Chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA). The events incorporated aspects of women’s health while providing students an opportunity to improve their clinical skills, engage with faculty members, and advocate on behalf of their future patients.

Natasha Rich, a 2^nd-year medical student and co-president of the FSM-AMWA chapter, finds these extracurricular activities to be particularly rewarding. “There is a strong interest amongst our members to gain additional training and experience in the unique aspects of women’s health and care that may not necessarily be covered on the day to day in the classroom,” she states.  

Students learn how to incorporate sexual health history into a routine exam. 

Recent AMWA-sponsored activities have included workshops on obtaining sexual health histories and recognizing intimate partner violence. In January, a group of medical students participated in the Chicago Women’s March. “Many of our members are passionate advocates for their communities and patients,” Rich shares. “As women and future physicians, students who participated in the march wanted to express their desire to protect their patient's [access] to healthcare.” 

FSM-AMWA members participate in the Chicago Women's March on January 21st, 2017. 

Students involved with the FSM-AMWA chapter are integrating women’s health into the classroom, clinic, and beyond. To learn more about their efforts or to become a member please contact Prianka Raju (prianka.raju@northwestern.edu) or Annika Nielsen (annika.nilsen@northwestern.edu). Medical, physician assistant, and physical therapy students, regardless of gender, are encouraged to become members.