Past Projects

The Mayo Clinic Women's Health Research Center has awarded numerous Pilot Grants in the past.

2021 awardees

  • Terence (Terry) C. Burns, M.D., Ph.D., Exogenous hormone use in women with intracranial meningiomas: Incidence, recurrence, and progression (2021-2022)
  • LaTonya J. Hickson, M.D., Mesenchymal stem cell function and senescence in experimental and human diabetic kidney disease: Effects of sex (2021-2022)
  • Amanika Kumar, M.D., Prehabilitation in advanced ovarian cancer (2021-2022)
  • Yiyi Yan, M.D., Ph.D., The impact of cancer immunotherapy on ovarian function in young women with cancer (2021-2022)

2020 awardees

  • Colleen M. Bartman, Ph.D., Estrogen and the circadian clock in women with asthma (2020-2022)
  • Naima Covassin, Ph.D., Assessment of sleep disruption in women with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (2020-2022)
  • Ali A. Duarte Garcia, M.D., Preventing the transition of cutaneous to systemic lupus erythematosus (2020-2022)
  • Emma Fortune Ngufor, Ph.D., Understanding sex-specific effects of abrupt endocrine disruption on physical activity, and bone and muscle health (2020-2022)
  • Juliana (Jewel) M. Kling, M.D., M.P.H., Cognitive effects of pituitary-ovarian hormones in menopause (2020-2021)
  • Essa Mohamed Ph.D., and Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., Evaluating the prevalence and implications of obstructive sleep apnea among pre- and postmenopausal women of Somali origin (2020-2022)
  • Nagai Takashi, M.D., (original PI); Nathan D. Schilaty, Ph.D. (current PI) Mayo Posture Positivity Power Program (MayoP4) for active and aging women in communities: A 15-minute multimodal intervention to prevent frailty (2020-2021)
  • Jennifer J. Westendorf, Ph.D., The role of PHLPP protein phosphatases in sex-specific progression of osteoarthritis (2020-2021)
  • Bin Zhang, M.D., Biological and therapeutic investigation of sex differences in valvular stenosis (2020-2022)

2019 awardees

  • Sarah E. Baker, Ph.D., Sex steroids and autonomic regulation of the vascular tone (2019-2022)
  • Aoife M. Egan, M.B., B.Ch., Ph.D., Determining the effect of pregnancy on pancreatic islet structure and function to understand women's risk of type 2 diabetes (2019-2020)
  • Frank Porreca, Ph.D., Prolactin and pain (2019-2020)
  • Mark E. Sherman, M.D., Development of novel early detection test to reduce racial disparities in endometrial cancer mortality (2019-2021)
  • Kristin R. Swanson, Ph.D., Image-based assessment of sex differences in glioblastoma therapeutic response (2019-2020)

2017 awardees

  • Kathleen R. Bartemes, Ph.D., Role of group 2 innate lymphoid cells in sex differences in asthma (2017-2018)
  • Mariza de Andrade, Ph.D., Understanding the role of hormones in venous thromboembolism-related pregnancy (2017-2018)
  • Michael J. Joyner, M.D., Neurovascular control and blood pressure during sympathoexcitatory stress in postmenopausal women (2017-2018)
  • Emily Voight, Ph.D., Sex differences in older adults' immune responses to seasonal influenza vaccination (2017-2018)