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Mission

Our mission is to develop a cooperative Center for Research in Reproduction that fosters collaboration among researchers between Meharry Medical College and Penn State University. The design of this intent is to develop the infrastructure and relevant expertise to conduct scientifically sound, clinically relevant research in gynecologic endocrinology and to increase scientific knowledge that will ameliorate chronic reproductive disease. The Center will serve as a focal point for interactions among basic, translational, and clinical scientists studying all aspects of reproduction. For additional information, e-mail us at CRR@mmc.edu.

U54 Research Projects U54 Research Header

Project I- Racial Differences in Circulating Sex Steroids and their Effect on Bone Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., REI, Principal Investigator, Meharry Penn State U: Co-Investigators Mark Tulchinski, M.D., William Dodson, M.D. This study will delineate differences in sex steroids during the menstrual cycle stratified by race and obesity and correlate these findings with bone mineral density and bone architecture.  Additionally we propose to examine both mechanism involved in this proposed racial difference with dynamic challenges with a hypothalamic agent and with a direct ovarian agent.  Our hypothesis is that Blacks are more likely to experience multiple follicular developments in response to these agents and this is one potential source of increased estrogen/progestins during the menstrual cycle.
Project II-The Effect of the Oral Contraceptive Pill on Leiomyomas

Stephanie Sweet, M.D., Principal Investigator, Meharry Medical College

William Dodson, M.D., Co-Investigator, Penn State Univ		 The investigator will examine the effect of the oral contraceptive pill on leiomyoma growth.  The hypothesis is that as steroid dependent tumors, leiomyomas will increase more in size on oral contraceptives than off of steroidal therapy.  This will be a prospective cohort study that will compare the effects of OCP use versus no hormonal medications in women with leiomyomas

Project III-The Effect of Combination Therapy

With Lifestyle Intervention and Metformin in Females with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Gwinnett Ladson, M.D., Principal Investigator, Meharry

Reeta Misra, M.D., Co-Investigator, Meharry; Penn State U:  Richard Legro, M.D., Principal Investigator,Peter Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Investigator

 This study is a randomized trial of metformin/placebo combined with lifestyle interventions to test whether combined therapy offers greater benefit on improving reproductive markers in both adolescent and adult women with polycystic ovary syndrome. At the same time, investigators at Penn State serve as co- investigators in the proposed clinical projects by recruiting a fraction of the subjects and specifically by contributing a White reference population to the clinical protocols.