What a Difference an X Makes: The State of Women's Health

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): ABSTRACT: This application requests partial support for the Fourth Annual "What a Difference an X Makes Conference" to be held July 18-19, 2013 in Washington, DC. SWHR's "What a Difference an X Makes: The State of Women's Health" conferences are designed to raise awareness about the importance of sex differences in various diseases and conditions that affect both men and women. The "What a Difference an X Makes Conference" gives SWHR an opportunity to remind stakeholders of the importance of understanding biological differences between men and women that affect health and disease. The conference is geared towards a multidisciplinary audience of researchers, clinicians and allied health care professionals from various academic institutions, patient advocacy groups, federal agency employees, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, media reporters, and science writers, etc. This year's meeting, "What a Difference an X Makes: The State of Women's Health," will provide expert, interdisciplinary perspectives on the role of stress, sexual health, mental health and nutrition/obesity on the development, maintenance, and outcome of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease, autoimmune disease and breast cancer. This conference will bring together a multidisciplinary audience of researchers, clinicians and allied health care professionals from various academic institutions, patient advocacy groups, federal agency employees, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, and media. The primary goal of the meeting is to bring an interdisciplinary group of experts together to discuss how the "hot" themes of stress, sexual health, mental health and nutrition/obesity influence chronic diseases. The two-day meeting consists of opening and closing remarks, two keynote addresses and four sessions, each composed of two panel discussions. In addition, we anticipate presenting approximately 30 posters from new investigators. The session topics will include, 1) The Biology of Stress: Panelists will describe the biological mechanisms of inflammation, sex differences in inflammation and stress, the roll of inflammation and stress in the development of chronic disease and possible interventions to break the stress/chronic disease link; 2) Sexual Health Across Her Lifespan : Panelists will describe the risks/benefits of hormone use and the lifelong consequences of STIs; 3) The Female Brain: Panelists will demonstrate how mental health, drug dependence, and pain factor into the management of chronic diseases in women; 4) Nutrition and Obesity: Panelists will address the role of diet, food additives and obesity in chronic diseases. The size (about 160) and the organization of this meeting provide an excellent opportunity for networking and interactive discussions. Funds are requested to help offset speaker travel. The annual meeting program, including speaker and poster abstracts, will be made freely available on the SWHR website (www.swhr.org). SWHR will organize this event and is requesting support from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, as well as from private foundations.