Annual Symposium

The WGHI Annual Symposium on Women’s Health is a signature event that highlights diverse topics in women’s health each year. The symposium features distinguished keynote speakers in the field, along with presentations on progress from WGHI-funded research projects. The symposium often includes a graduate student poster session, offering participants the opportunity to showcase their work and compete for monetary best poster awards.  

Women's Health Research Symposium -- March 3, 2025

	Keynote: "Scientific Discoveries Leading to the First FDA-Approved Medications for Postpartum Depression"  Kristina Deligiannidis, Director, Women’s Behavioral Health, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health; Executive Director, Reproductive Psychiatry, Project TEACH NY; Professor, Psychiatry, Molecular Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; Professor, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health
	“Exploring Patient Experiences with Miscarriage Care in Indiana in the Midst of a Shifting Regulatory Environment”   Kathryn J. LaRoche, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Purdue University
	“Utilizing Community Based Participatory Research to Culturally Adapt a Sexual Health Intervention for South African Adolescents” Jennifer Brown, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University
	"Profiling Molecular Fingerprints of Breast Cancer Subtypes through Plasma-Derived Extracellular Vesicles" W. Andy Tao, Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Purdue University
	"Role of the Proteome of Cytoplasmic Lipid Droplets in Metastasis" Dorothy Teegarden, Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University

Click to register and submit posters 

Symposium Agenda

Co-sponsors:

Women's Health Workshop -- Nov 6, 2024

(click for details)

Women's Health Research Symposium: Women's Cancers -- Sept 6, 2023

	Keynote: "Breast Cancer Screening: New Ways of Thinking" Christiane Kuhl, Chair of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Aachen RWTH, Director of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Aachen, Germany
	"HPV Vaccination: Overcoming Challenges in Cancer Prevention" Monica Kasting, Associate Professor of Public Health, Purdue University
	"Broadening Clinical Care Models for Breast Cancer Interception" Tarah Ballinger, Vera Bradley Foundation Scholar in Breast Cancer Research, Associate Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"The Komen Tissue Bank: a Valuable Research Resource"  Jill Henry, Chief Operating Officer of the Komen Tissue Bank, Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
	"Advances in Breast Radiofrequency Coils for MRI" Joseph Rispoli, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University

The playlist of the entire symposium

Opening Remarks: Daniel DeLaurentis, Vice President for Research Institutes and Centers of Purdue Discovery Park District, and Kei Hui, the Purdue First Lady

Keynote: "Breast Cancer Screening -- New Ways of Thinking" -- Christiane Kuhl

WGHI & Indiana CTSI Annual Retreat: Women's Health -- Feb 17, 2023

	Keynote: "Navigating Women's Health Issues and Research: Forging the Path Ahead" Janine Austin Clayton, NIH Associate Director for Research on Women's Health, Director of NIH Office of Research on Women's Health
	"Women's Health in Indiana" Lindsay Weaver, Chief Medical Officer, Indiana Department of Health

PARALLEL BREAKOUT SESSIONS: I 

Maternal and Child Health -- Chair: Deb Litzelman

	"WeCare: Reciprocal Innovation Research in Indiana to Decrease Risk Factors for Infant Mortality" Deb Litzelman, D. Craig Brater Professor of Global Health Education, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"Wearable Devices for Predicting and Preventing Preeclampsia" Craig Goergen, Leslie A. Geddes Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
	"Maternal and Infant Brain under Opioid Exposure of the Mothers in Indiana" Rupa Radhakrishnan, Associate Professor of Radiology & Imaging Sciences,  Associate Neuroradiology Division Chief, Indiana University School of Medicine

 Obesity and Chronic Diseases -- Chair: Gregory Henderson

	"Metabolic Syndrome-associated Pulmonary Hypertension with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction" Charly Lai, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Cellular & Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"Modeling the Impact of Obesity on the Metastatic Recurrence of Breast Cancer" Michael Wendt, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University
	"Do Men and Women Live in Different Sensory Worlds?" Rick Mattes, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science and Public Health,  Director, Ingestive Behavior Research Center, Purdue University

PARALLEL BREAKOUT SESSIONS: II

Neurodegenerative Disorders and Aging--Chair: Chris Rochet

	"Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease: Lessons from Human Studies" Peristera Paschou, Interim Head and Professor of Biological Sciences, Purdue University
	"Sex Differences in Rodent Models of Alzheimer's Disease" Wendy Koss, Assistant Research Professor, Director of Purdue Animal Behavior Core, Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience
	"Sex Differences in a Stem Cell Model of Alzheimer's Disease" Aaron Bowman, Professor and Interim Dean of School of Health Sciences, Purdue University

Women's Health in Rural Areas -- Chair: Natalia Rodriguez

	"Technology-driven Solutions to Support Caregiver Behavioral Health in Geographically-distributed, High-risk Communities" Bridgette Kellehe, Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University
	"Environmental Health of Women and Girls in Rural Areas and Approaches to Community-engaged Research" Ellen Wells, Associate Professor of Public Health, Purdue University
	"Evaluating the Impact of a Community Health Worker for Diabetes Management in Self-employed Women in India" Faria Chaudhry, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Purdue University Sonak Pastakia, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Purdue University

The playlist of the entire symposium

Introduction and Breakout Sessions

Keynote "Navigating Women's Health Issues and Research" -- Janine Clayton

"Women's Health in Indiana" -- Lindsay Weaver

Women's Health Research Symposium: Climate Change and Human Health -- Oct 31, 2022

	Keynote: "Climate Change and Human Health" Joshua Rosenthal, Division of Epidemiology and Population Studies, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Health
	"The Interplay of Sex Steroids and the Gut Microbiome"  Tzu-wen Cross, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Motion as a Tumor Suppressor" Luis Solorio, Associate Professor and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University

Women's Health Research Symposium: Mental Health -- Dec 8, 2021 

	Keynote: "Women's Mental Health Across the Life Course" Pauline Maki, Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Director of Women’s Mental Health Research Program, Senior Director of Research, Center for Research on Women and Gender, University of Illinois College of Medicine
	"Sex-Dependent Behavioral Effects in Preclinical Models of Substance Use"  Adam Kimbrough, Assistant Professor of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University
	"Targeting Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor in Metastatic Breast Cancer" Michael Wendt, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University
	"Preliminary Work Using Chemesthetic Leverages for Safe Swallowing" Cordelia Running, Associate Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Integrating Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Screening and Care into the Community Based BIGPIC Care" Sonak Pastakia, Professor of Pharmacy Practice, Purdue University

Co-sponsors:

Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease

College of Health and Human Sciences

Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience 

Seminar -- Feb 26, 2021 

Women's Health Research Symposium: Mental Health -- Nov 13, 2020

	Keynote: "Sex and Gender Differences in the Pathogenesis of COVID-19" Sabra Klein, Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Co-director of Center for Women's Health, Sex, and Gender Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
	"Challenges, Wellbeing, and Coping of Single Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic" Zoe Taylor, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Co-Director, HHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Science Consortium, Purdue University
	"Early Detection of COVID-19 by Monitoring Resting Heart Rate and Respiration Rate Using Wearable Devices" Craig Goergen, Leslie A. Geddes Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
	"Maternal and Paternal Response Comparison at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic" Xiang Zhou, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Purdue University
	"The Impact of COVID-19 on Childbirth and the Newborn" Gregory M. Sokol, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine
	Keynote: "Understanding and Overcoming Coronavirus" Richard Kuhn, The Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor in Science Department of Biological Sciences, Krenicki Family Director, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University

Seminar -- Oct 16, 2020 (co-host: Purdue Department of Public Health)

Women's Health Research Symposium: Neurodegenerative Disorders -- Nov 1, 2019

	Keynote: "Early Symptomatic and Presymptomatic Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease" Liana G. Apostolova, Barbara and Peer Baekgaard Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"Oocyte Cell Biology — a Potential Link between Gamete Quality, Female Fertility and Other Diseases" Janice Evans, Internal Steering Committee of WGHI, Professor and Department Head of Biological Sciences, Purdue University
	"Supporting Maternal and Child Health through Telehealth-Based Research in Low-Incidence Neurodevelopmental Disorders" Bridgette Kelleher, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University
	"The Role of Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment in Obesity-Associated Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Resistance" Laura Bowers, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University

Women's Health Research Symposium (co-host: Purdue Insitute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease) -- Sept 20-21, 2018

Gut to Brian -- Sept 20

	"Gut-Derived Inflammation in Parkinson’s Disease" Ali Keshavarzian, Internal Medicine, Division of Digestive Diseases and Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
	"Acrolein Exposure and Development of Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis" Riyi Shi, Professor of Neurosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
	"Helping Parkinson’s Patients Communicate" Jessica Huber, Professor of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University
	"Sex Differences in the Frequency and Circumstances of Falls Across the Adult Lifespan" Shirley Rietdyk, Professor of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University

Prevention of Chronic Disease -- Sept 21

	"Vitamin E Forms and Metabolites for Cancer Chemoprevention" Qing Jiang, Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Diet, Gut Microbiome, and Bone Health" Connie Weaver, Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Bone Protective Actions of Blueberry Diets: Mechanistic Distinctions between Female and Male Skeletons" Teresita Bellido, Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"Identify Gut Targeted Therapeutics for Osteoporosis" Laura McCabe, Professor of Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University

Women's Health Research Symposium -- Oct 4-5, 2017

Community Lecture -- Oct 4

"Addressing Health Challenges: Together Our Impact is Greater" Judith Monroe, FAAFP President and CEO, CDC Foundation

Symposium Talks -- Oct 5

	"Women's Health Implications for Family and Community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo" Lee Ann De Reus, Co-founder, Panzi Foundation USA, Executive Director, Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project, Washington DC
	"Sex and Racial Differences in Cardiovascular and Bone Health" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"High-Throughput Detection of Circulating Tumor Cells" Cagri Savran, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, by courtesy in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University
	"Impact of Sex in Space" Saralyn Mark, President of iGIANT and SolaMed Solutions, LLC, Former Senior Medical Policy Advisor, White House OSTP and NASA, Associate Professor adjunct at Yale School of Medicine, Senior Lecturer at Kings College London

Women's Health: A Global Priority -- May 7, 2016 (co-host: Cook Research Incorporated)

	"Intraperitoneal Drug Delivery for Chemotherapy of Ovarian Cancer" Yoon Yeo, Associate Professor of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University
	"Adolescence -- Where Chronic Disease Begins" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"LACTOR: Technology-Based Strategy to Promote Breastfeeding" Azza Ahmed, Associate Professor of Nursing, Purdue University
	"Collymers -- Building Tissues for the Body and the Lab" Sherry Harbin, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University

Women's Global Health Institute Symposium -- Aug 27-28, 2015

	"Customizable, Self-assembling Collagen-Fibril Materials for Next-Generation Engineered Tissue Products and Therapeutic Cell/Molecular Delivery" Sherry Harbin, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
	"Doing the Right Thing for Global Women’s Health – The Antenatal Corticosteroids Story that Turned Implementation Science on Its Head" Patricia Hibberd, Chair and Professor of Global Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

 Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Gut Microbiome -- Aug 27

	"Can we and should we change your microbiome? -- Lessons Learned from Probiotic Trials: A Road to Therapy" Patricia Hibberd, Chair and Professor of Global Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
	"Probiotics, Immune System and Bone – Mechanisms of Sex Differences" Laura McCabe, Professor of Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Department of Physiology, Michigan State University
	"Prebiotics, Bone and Immune Function" Cindy Nakatsu, Professor of Agronomy, and Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Designer Prebiotics" Bruce Hamaker, Distinguished Professor of Food Science, Director of the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research, Purdue University

	"Oxidative Stress and Chronic Disease" Andy Mesecar, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Walther Professor of Cancer Structural Biology, Purdue University
	"Nrf2 and Sex Differences in Bone and Accrual and Maintenance" Tere Bellido, Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine
	"Bioactives and Epigenetics" Barbara Stefanska, Assistant Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Diversity of Blueberries and Bioactives" Mary Ann Lila, David H. Murdock Distinguished Professor of Food Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, Director of Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University
	"Berries and Bone: Approaches to Studying Bioactives" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Crop Breeding to Enhance Health Attributes, Improve Processing and Satisfy Consumer Demand" Corey Scott, Nutrition Scientist, General Mills
	"Creating Evidence-Based Nutritional Products" Jim Brooks, Head of Global R&D and Quality, Pharmavite

Women's Global Health Institute Symposium -- Nov 7-8, 2014

Nov 7: 

Panel: Consensus Development for Public Health Guidelines 

	"Case for Evidence-Base and Systematic Reviews" Dennis Bier, Professor of Pediatrics-Nutrition, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine
	"Case for Critical Analysis" Bruce Craig, Professor of Statistics and Director of Statistical Consulting Service, Purdue University
	"Evidence Base vs Critical Analysis for Nutrition and Lifestyle Choices" Linda van Horn, Professor of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University

 Sex differences in Biology and Disease – Vive La Différence! 

	"Cancer: Women’s Cancers and Men’s Cancers" Sophie Lelievre, Professor of Basic Medical Sciences and Tim Ratliff, Distinguished Professor of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University
	"Osteoporosis - Estrogen vs. Testosterone" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University and Munro Peacock, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Nov 8: 

"American Society of Nutrition/National Osteoporosis Foundation Consensus Statement:  Development of Peak Bone Mass" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University

Women's Global Health Institute Symposium -- Sept 26, 2013

Panel: Consensus Development for Public Health Guidelines 

	"SpeechVive Update" Jessica Huber, Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Associate Director of Center for Research on Brain, Behavior, and NeuroRehabilitation, Purdue University
	"Development of Nanoparticle Depot for Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy of Ovarian Cancer" Yoon Yeo, Associate Department Head of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics and Lillian Barboul Thomas Professor of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University
	"Entering the Era of Precision Medicine" Marietta Harrison, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Director of the Oncological Science Center, Purdue University
	"Are There Risks Associated with High Calcium Intakes?" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University

Breakout Sessions: 

Women's Global Health Institute Symposium -- Sept 27-28, 2012

Sept 27 

	"The Zebrafish as a Model System for Defining the Impacts of a Developmental Chemical Exposure on Reproductive Health" Jennifer Freeman, Professor of Health Sciences, Purdue University
	"Screening Dietary Interventions for Reducing Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women" Connie Weaver, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"How Can MRI Help Us to Detect Toxic Exposure to the Brain or Individualize Treatment in Liver Cancer?" Ulrike Dydak, Professor of Health Sciences, Director of Purdue Life Science MRI Facility, Purdue Faculty Scholar, Purdue University
	"Nutrition Therapies and Parkinson’s Disease" Chris Rochet, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University
	"Brain Injuries -- from Football to Girls’s Soccer" Larry Leverenz, Professor of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University

Sept 28

	"Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding" Azza Ahmed, Professor of Nursing, Purdue University
	"Following Dietary Fat Absorption with an Eye on Obesity and Heart Disease" Kim Buhman, Professor of Nutrition Science, Purdue University
	"Epigenetic Landmarks of Cancer" Joseph Irudayaraj, Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Deputy Director of Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University
	"Use of Folate Tags for Imaging and Therapy of Women's Diseases" Phil Low, Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Purdue University