Rationale

Rationale for CSD’s Sex-Based Biological Research

The vast array of sex differences between women and men lead to some probing health-related questions:

• What physiological differences between men and women affect the natural history of diseases and disorders?
• What are the mechanisms underlying the sex differences in susceptibility to certain diseases and disorders?
• Why are certain treatment protocols more effective for women compared to men?
• Are there sex differences in access to and the delivery of care that affect sex differences in outcome?

While reproductive sex hormones play a key role in these sex differences, genetic, environmental and experiential differences also contribute. Studying the biology of sex differences in health and disease will undoubtedly provide clues into the mechanisms of normal biological processes, as well as into the pathological mechanisms underlying disease states. Furthermore, understanding sex differences will ultimately lead to new preventative, diagnostic and therapeutic practices, which will improve health and health care of women in our society but also of men.

The Investigators at the CSD are looking to answer these questions as they relate to their varied fields.