Summary: I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Andrea Dunaif earlier this month. Dr. Dunaif is the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Dr. Dunaif held faculty appointments at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. She served as the first director of women’s health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She also established and served as chief of the Division of Women’s Health in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and led the Harvard Medical School National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. Dr. Dunaif is an internationally recognized expert in endocrinology and women’s health. Her research on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common hormonal disorder of reproductive-age women with prevalence rates of 5-10% worldwide, has shown that PCOS is a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further, this research has revolutionized the treatment of PCOS with insulin sensitizing drugs. Dr. Dunaif is the Director of the National Institutes of Health-supported Northwestern University Specialized Center of Research on Sex Differences and leads an international effort to map the genes for PCOS. She also oversees two National Institutes of Health-supported training programs, the Northwestern University Building Interdisciplinary Careers in Women’s Health institutional K-award program and the Northwestern University Program in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hormone Action, an institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. Listen in and you’ll hear our 40 minute discussion of recent PCOS research, genetics and more.
