DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Breast Cancer

Research Abstract

My primary research interest is in the mechanisms, inter-relationships, and treatment of menopausal symptoms in healthy women and women with breast cancer. Some of my work focuses on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying hot flashes and the impact of hot flashes on sleep and mood. These studies are conducted using experimental models of induced hot flashes (i.e., gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists) and in women initiating tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, and other anti-estrogen therapies to treat or reduce the risk of breast cancer. We use neuroimaging (PET-18FDG) methods and frequent hormone sampling techniques to detect changes in brain activity in specific regions of interest and estrogen (liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy), respectively in women who do and do not develop hot flashes. In other work, I conduct clinical trials and intervention studies to determine optimal therapy for women with hot flashes and to understand whether targeting of specific menopausal symptoms (e.g., hot flashes, sleep disturbance) is central to optimization of well-being in women with hot flashes. We assess hot flashes using subjective approaches (diaries) and objective methodologies (skin-conductance monitoring) and sleep using subjective measures of sleep quality and objective measures of sleep (actigraphy, polysomnography).

Publications

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