May 2026 Newsletter
Registration is open! The Health of Women 2026 Conference, presented by the VCU Institute for Women’s Health, will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa – Short Pump. This is a national continuing education conference for clinicians (but anyone is welcome) covering many aspects of women’s health, including reproductive health, cardiovascular health, bone health, mental health, breast health, and more. Register here!
Registration is open for Emerging Topics in Women’s Health: Cardiovascular Health Through Every Life Stage, a free pre-conference virtual symposium prior to the VCU Health of Women Conference, presented by the Society for Women’s Health Research on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at noon. Register here!
Our 20th Annual Women’s Health Research Day was a huge success, with over 150 registrants and attendees! Stay tuned for an overview of highlights and award winners from the day. Photos will also be posted on our social media pages.
Are you looking for summer research help? Please reach out to Dr. Molly Hyer (Molly.Hyer@vcuhealth.org) if you are looking for full time, part time, volunteer, or paid research help from students or trainees this upcoming summer. We have lots of students looking for a summer experience.
Congratulations to our IWH Affiliate Faculty Richmond Magazine Top Docs of 2026!
Caitlin E Martin (Addiction Medicine)
Hem Bhardwaj (Cardiology)
John Quillin (Genetics)
Christine Isaacs (Gynecology/Obstetrics)
Nicole Karjane (Gynecology/Obstetrics)
Mary Helen Hackney (Hematology and Oncology)
Karen Hendricks-Munoz (Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine)
Amelia Grover (Oncologic Surgery)
Raphael Louie (Oncologic Surgery)
Stephen Kates (Orthopedics)
Nicole Karjane (Pediatric Adolescent Medicine)
An Pham (Pediatric Adolescent Medicine)
Allison Williams (Pediatric Mental Health Professional)
David Cifu (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
Melissa Bui (Psychiatry)
Melanie Bean (Psychology)
Kelsey Hagan (Psychology)
Leila Islam (Psychology)
Emma Fields (Radiation Oncology)
Kandace McGuire (Breast Surgery)
Stephen Kates (Orthopedic Surgery)
Linda Burkett (Urogynecology)
News from IWH leadership and affiliate faculty
- Melanie Bean, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, won the Fit4Kids 2026 Trailblazer Award, which recognizes individuals making a positive, long-term impact in the health and wellness of children in the Richmond region.
- The Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research team, including our Co-Director of Translational Research, Pam Dillon, PharmD, demonstrated its national leadership this past week at ACTS Translational Science 2026.
- Oxana Palesh, PhD, MPH, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, recently published a study highlighting the critical need for updated surveillance protocols and cancer control strategies among survivors.
Upcoming Events
- The NIH Vivian W. Pinn Symposium: “From Gaps to Gateways: Advancing Research on Chronic Conditions in Women” will be held on Monday, May 11th from 8:30-5:00pm EST at the NIH campus. There is also a virtual option. Registration is encouraged by May 2nd.
- The Military Women’s Health Webinar Series: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders will be held on May 14th from 3:00-4:00pm EST. The topics will focus on sex differences in adjustment disorders in the U.S. military and sexual trauma, suicide, and overdose among older veterans. Click here to register.
- The Emory SCORE and BIRCWH Women’s Health Research and Leadership Seminar: “Communicating Your Value” will be held on May 20th from noon-1:00pm EST. Click here to register.
Research Study Recruitment Corner
Are you looking to recruit participants for active studies? Please fill out the Research Study Recruitment Corner Form if you are interested in having your study included in the newsletter.
- Deciphering the Cognitive and Neural Underpinnings of Risk-Taking in Eating Disorders (RISK-EAT)
- Recruiting adolescents (ages 12-17) and young adult (ages 18-25) females with and without bulimia nervosa
- Two study visits are required:
- Visit 1: (in person or virtual) will be a ~3 hour screening visit
- Visit 2: (in person at VCU CARI center) will be a ~3-4 hour visit
- Two-week follow-up of online surveys and games
- Participants will be compensated $75 per visit and additionally compensated for engagement in the follow-up period
- Please contact Kelsey Hagan, PhD, LP (Kelsey.Hagan@vcuhealth.org) for more information.
- Reflex Evaluation After Concussive Trauma (REACT)
- Recruiting adolescents (ages 13-19) for 2 groups:
- 1) diagnosed with a concussion within the last 14 days
- 2) no history of diagnosed concussion
- The number of study visits (~90-120 minutes each) varies by group:
- 1 study visit for healthy controls
- 3 study visits across 12 months for the concussion group
- Participants will be compensated for their participation
- Please contact Jessie Oldham, PhD (Jessie.Oldham@vcuhealth.org) or Jackson Marra-Dotts (Jackson.MarraDotts@vcuhealth.org) for more information.
- Associations of Sex, Head Injury History, and Modifiable Lifestyle Factors with Subjective Measures of Brain Health
- Recruiting adults (ages 18-59) with a history of at least one head injury
- The most recent head injury must have occurred at least 6 months prior
- Participants cannot have any restrictions for unsupervised exercise participation
- Participation requires completion of up to 13 electronic surveys over one year
- Each survey takes ~20-30 minutes to complete
- Participants will be eligible to win 1 of 20 $240 gift cards
- Please contact Sam Walton, PhD, ATC (Samuel.Walton@vcuhealth.org) for more information.
- Sex Differences in Hip Muscle Adaptations and the Link to Future Injury Following Acute First-Time Lateral Ankle Sprains
- Recruiting adolescent and young adult participants (ages 14-30) for 2 groups:
- Ankle Sprain: First time lateral ankle sprain within 1 month of injury
- Healthy Control: No history of ankle sprain or other injuries
- Participation requires 1 in-person study visit lasting ~90 minutes
- Ankle sprain participants will be asked to complete 2 additional remote surveys (~5 minutes) at 3- and 6-months following the visit
- All participants will receive $50 for in-person visits. Ankle sprain participants will receive an additional $252 for each completed follow-up survey.
- Please contact Alexandra DeJong Lempke, PhD, ATC (Alexandra.Lempke@vcuhealth.org) for more information.
IWH Training Survey
Please complete this survey to help us gather data on training and mentoring activities of IWH Affiliate Faculty. Contact Dr. Heather Jones (hjones7@vcu.edu) with any questions.
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To subscribe to the newsletter and join the IWH Listserv, email Kellyn Moody at Kellyn.Moody@vcuhealth.org.