Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most important benign neoplastic threat to women’s health, the top indication for hysterectomy, and a major source of infertility resulting in substantial personal and economic consequences worldwide. Notably, there is a major health disparity in UFs, as it is 4 times more common in Black women compared to White women.
The Chicago-Morehouse Center for Research on Uterine Fibroids and Health Disparity (COMBAT-HD) aims to be a new research center devoted to study the UF racial disparity. The proposed center is a collaboration between The University of Chicago and Morehouse School of Medicine, one of the largest HBCU medical schools in the US. COMBAT-HD will bring together leading scientists and integrate multiple disciplinary approaches to investigate the role of Vitamin D3 deficiency (hypovitaminosis D) in UF origin and progression at the molecular, cellular, genetic ancestry, and community population levels. The center will serve as a national resource for early-career investigators and young scientists pursuing UF health disparity elimination and will award pilot project funds to an Early Stage Investigator each year to advance UF health disparity research.
COMBAT-HD aims to understand UFs from the molecular level to the community level to aid the development of effective, safe, and non-surgical prevention or treatment options for high-risk patients. To this end, the center will include a strong community engagement component to build on partnerships with several fibroid patient advocacy groups and community organizations to inform center research and disseminate and implement evidence-based conclusions to both patients and health care providers.
Center Personnel
UChicago
- Dr. Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PhD: Overall PI, Administrative Director, Center Researcher
- Dr. Mohamed Ali, PhD: Center Researcher
- Dr. Qiwei Yang, PhD: Center Researcher
- Dr. Chuan He, PhD: Center Researcher
- Dr. Jasmin Tiro, PhD, MPH: Center Researcher, Community Engagement Director
- Dr. Marcia Tan, PhD, MPH: Center Researcher, Community Engagement
Morehouse
- Dr. Winston Thompson, PhD, MS: Center Researcher
- Dr. Tabia Akintobi, PhD, MPH: Center Researcher, Community Engagement co-Leader