The Center's clinical research focus includes the following:
- Improvement of pregnancy outcomes and maternal and infant survival (particularly in disadvantaged and minority populations as well as in sub-Saharan Africa) by addressing the major causes of maternal and infant mortality including preterm birth, hypertensive disorders, infections, opioid abuse, obstetric complications and labor management
- Global women’s reproductive health including HIV, malaria, hepatitis B infection, technology;
- Study of treatment strategies and their cost effectiveness in gynecological disorders such as infertility, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, pelvic inflammatory disease, menopause, pelvic relaxation/incontinence, and abnormal pap smears; study of treatment strategies aimed at cancerous gynecological disorders;
- Development of novel therapeutics in reproductive tract cancers; prevention of maternal to fetal HIV transmission;
- Evaluation of smoking cessation interventions; longitudinal studies aimed at nutrition status and intrauterine growth retardation and its relationship to child development; and cancer prevention and control.
The CWRH is also involved in basic/translational research, including extensive research activities in collaboration with the Division of Gene Therapy. These activities include the development of novel strategies to accomplish gene therapy for sickle cell, ovarian cancer and rapid implementation of these strategies into clinical protocols.
In addition to research and clinic care the Center is involved in a number of service programs. The Colposcopy Clinic provides follow-up of abnormal pap smears for women referred by county health departments throughout Alabama, as well as consultation/medical directorship of their patient screening protocols. Patients of the Center for Genitourinary Disorders are served by a team of urogynecologists, urologists, geriatricians, immunologists, health behaviorists, and nurses.
The department and CWRH are currently recruiting participants for research in the following divisions:
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Urogynecology Care and Pelvic Reconstruction Surgery
- Women’s Reproductive Healthcare
- Gynecologic Oncology Cancer prevention
- Global Health in Cameroon