WOMEN'S HEALTH IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS

比林斯博士是明尼苏达大学四年级的肺病和重症监护研究员，他将于2000年7月1日成为医学讲师。她的长期目标是发展一个独立的学术生涯结合临床研究与临床医学。她的主要研究和临床领域将是囊性纤维化（CF）。拟议的职业发展计划结合了强烈的跨学科的病人为导向的研究经验与全面结构化的教学课程。候选人对CF女性的健康特别感兴趣。来自明尼苏达大学CF中心患者的数据表明，女性的死亡率高于男性，这似乎在青春期附近增加。比林斯博士将探讨雌激素和孕激素可能对CF肺病产生负面影响的假设。本研究将检查正常排卵的年轻女性CF在月经周期的卵泡期和黄体期的肺功能。服用避孕药的CF女性的肺功能将与未服用避孕药的女性进行比较。还将获得关于绝经对肺功能、骨骼健康、血脂水平和心血管疾病影响的初步信息。如果有证据表明激素对肺功能有影响，可能会对未来的治疗产生影响，并有可能提高CF女性的生存率。指导患者导向发展奖为PI提供了将队列研究设计的现有知识转化为研究实施和实施的实际应用的机会。申请人将继续在公共卫生学院的临床研究，生物统计学和伦理学领域的其他课程。她将有机会扩大她的内分泌学和新陈代谢的知识，以及研究方法与妇女健康的这项研究。

Dr. Billings is a fourth year pulmonary and critical care fellow at the University of Minnesota who will become an Instructor of Medicine on July 1, 2000. Her long term goal is to develop an independent academic career combining clinical research with clinical medicine. Her primary research and clinical field will be in cystic fibrosis (CF). The proposed career development plan combines an intense interdisciplinary patient-- oriented research experience in association with a comprehensive structured didactic curriculum. The candidate is particularly interested in the health of women with CF. Data from patients seen at the University of Minnesota CF Center demonstrate greater mortality in women compared to men which appears to increase near the time of puberty. Dr. Billings will explore the hypothesis that estrogen and progesterone may have a negative impact on CF lung disease. The present study will examine lung function during the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle in normally menstruating young women with CF. Lung function of women with CF on birth control pills will be compared to those who are not. Pilot information on the effect of menopause on lung function, bone health, lipid levels and cardiovascular disease will also be obtained. If there is evidence of hormonal influence on pulmonary function, there may be future therapeutic implications and the potential to improve survival in women with CF. The Mentored Patient-Oriented Development Award affords the opportunity for the PI to translate existing knowledge of cohort study design into the practical application of study conduct and implementation. The applicant will pursue additional courses in the School of Public Health in the areas of clinical research, biostatistics and ethics. She will have the opportunity to expand her knowledge of endocrinology and metabolism as well as research methodology with this study of women's health.