Research Projects

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health is a unique department that conducts well funded, well-recognized research programs in areas of basic science, clinical research and epidemiological studies. Having successful programs in such a spectrum of research, unusual in a department that performs strongly in its clinical activities, serves training and research opportunities designed to solve clinical problems using several approaches.

The increasing success of the Department's research programs is most notably marked by the approximately 10-fold increase in the amount of funding in the last ten years. The research and investigative activities of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health at New Jersey Medical School reached our highest levels during the last 5 years. The NIH research funding levels of our Department placed us in the top 15% of American Medical School Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology nationwide. Our funding and productivity have demonstrated the commitment and interest of every member of the Department to making advancements in the field of women's health. Our department is well supported by national and state agencies with only (on average) 20 full time faculty members above the level of instructor.

The NIH research funding levels of our department has placed us in the top 25 ranked by NIH for the last three years. Most Department listed in the top 25 in NIH Funding are from medical schools whose rankings are also in the top 25. In contrast, New Jersey Medical School has consistently ranked about #70. Thus, our achievement is in view of the more limited resources available to our faculty than at other medical schools. This has, in certain instances, required our faculty to institute programs, such as the New Jersey Medical School Transgenic Facility, established and directed by one of our department faculty.

In addition to investigator initiated grants, our Faculty are Principal Investigators of an NIH Reproductive Network Grant, one of only 8 grants funded nationally, and a SWAN Grant, an NIH funded multi-site grant to study the changes which occur during the perimenopause. In addition, in 2000, we were awarded an NIH grant to establish a BIRCWH (Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health) Career Development Center, one of 12 centers funded in the nation.

The Women's Health Research Scholars Grant for Faculty Development in Women's Health Award in 2001 was awarded to one of our Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Fellows, one of three in the nation. The AAMC Health Services Research Institute Fellowship funded by the Agency for Health Career Research and quality was awarded to one of our assistant professor faculty from the Association for Health Services Research.

Additional competitively awarded grants from various National agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the March of Dimes and several state agencies, including the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research and the UMDNJ Foundation support our work. Other awards from various pharmaceutical and biotech companies to support our research activities as well. Our research efforts lead to publications in leading journals in the field by the members of our Department enhancing the reputation of our Department and the Medical School. For the last 5 year time period, approximately 115 peer reviewed articles, textbook chapters, and reviews were contributed by our faculty.