CHARM Research
The health of women at midlife and beyond depends on a strong foundation of menopause research. Expanded research is needed to enable healthcare systems and providers to address women’s multiple healthcare needs both at menopause and in the decades that follow. With improved understanding of how menopause affects women’s health, we can improve health outcomes, lower healthcare costs, and enhance workforce productivity.
Our groundbreaking research delves into the stages of menopause, its symptoms, and its effects on physical, emotional, and cognitive health. By advancing the understanding of menopause and its associated risks, our research empowers women with critical knowledge and equips healthcare providers to deliver better, more tailored support. Moreover, we are committed to engaging a diverse population in our research design, implementation, and evaluation, which is crucial given the disproportionate impact of menopause symptoms and related co-morbidities on women of color.
Through collaborations with programs both within and beyond UIC, our research also explores the relationship between menopause symptom management, quality of life, and economic impact and productivity. As an academic health enterprise, UIC's research not only provides strong evidence-based insights, but it also is applied directly to enhancing menopause care for women, demonstrating the broader benefits of enhanced menopause care for society as a whole.
Our Publications Heading link
- Menopause and brain fog: how to counsel and treat midlife women. Menopause. 2024 May 28:10-97.
- Menopausal vasomotor symptoms and plasma Alzheimer disease biomarkers. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2023 Nov 7. [*joint first-author] PMCID: In Process.
- Menopausal vasomotor symptoms and white matter hyperintensities in midlife women. Neurology. 2023 Jan 10;100(2):e133-41. PMCID: PMC9841446.
- Brain fog in menopause: a health-care professional’s guide for decision-making and counseling on cognition. Climacteric. 2022 Nov 2;25(6):570-8.
- Cognitive changes during the menopausal transition: a longitudinal study in women with and without HIV. Menopause. 2021 Apr 1;28(4):360-8. PMCID: PMC8576848.
- Cognitive profiles in perimenopause: hormonal and menopausal symptom correlates. Climacteric. 2021 Mar 24:1-7. PMCID: PMID: 33759672.
- Physiologic vasomotor symptoms are associated with verbal memory dysfunction in breast cancer survivors. Menopause. 2020 Nov 1;27(11):1209-19.
- Sleep characteristics and white matter hyperintensities among midlife women. Sleep. 2020 Jun;43(6):zsz298. PMCID: PMC7294405.
- Hot flashes are associated with altered brain function during a memory task. Menopause. 2020 Mar 1;27(3):269-77.
- Guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of perimenopausal depression: summary and recommendations. Menopause. 2018 Oct; 25(10): 1069-1085. PMCID: PMC8576848.
- Understanding the impact of sex and gender in Alzheimer’s disease: a call to action. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. 2018 Sep 1;14(9):1171-83. senior authors PMCID: PMC6400070.