The goal of the Meharry-Penn State U54 Cooperative Reproductive Science Center is to establish a premier clinical research center devoted to minority-based issues in reproductive endocrinology. The grant will focus on the creation of two research core facilities at Meharry Medical College that will mirror those at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and four research studies. The partnership, particularly the establishment of core facilities at Meharry, will help that institution to secure future additional research funding, and will allow Penn State Hershey Medical Center to expand its research program in reproductive endocrinology by partnering in joint studies.

"This is an opportunity for Meharry Medical College and Penn State Hershey Medical Center to unite to become a powerhouse in terms of reproductive research opportunities," said Richard S. Legro, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, and co-principal investigator for the study. "This really is a situation in which both institutions and patients everywhere truly will benefit by the information that's obtained from these studies."

Valerie Montgomery-Rice, M.D., chair and professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Meharry Medical College, a historically black institution, said both institutions bring unique strengths to the partnership and a largely homogeneous patient population, Meharry's being primarily African-American, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center's being primarily Caucasian.

"This is really an opportunity for our two institutions to really bridge a gap and address some of the health disparity issues in women's health," Montgomery-Rice said. "When you look at what ha
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Contact: Valerie Gliem
vgliem@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State
23-Jun-2004