Our researchers have helped demonstrate the links between gestational diabetes and childhood obesity and were among the first to document the connection between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer. Likewise, our foundational investigation of human papillomavirus infection led to the discovery of its link to cervical cancer and, ultimately, to an effective vaccine.
The Center for Health Research was also part of the Women’s Health Initiative, a study of post-menopausal women spanning more than 20 years. It was the largest-ever study of women’s health in the United States. Through our work on this seminal research project, we examined low-fat diets to determine whether they could prevent heart disease and cancers of the breast and colon; the effects of hormone replacement therapy on heart disease; and the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D in preventing colon cancer.