[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 159 (Monday, December 6, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8555-S8556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 695--RECOGNIZING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL 
   INSTITUTES OF HEALTH OFFICE OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN'S HEALTH AND THE 
CONTINUING LEADERSHIP AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE OFFICE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH 
  IN CONDUCTING AND SUPPORTING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S 
                                 HEALTH

  Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Stabenow, and Mrs. Boxer) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 695

       Whereas the National Institutes of Health (referred to in 
     this preamble as the ``NIH'') Office of Research on Women's 
     Health (referred to in this preamble as the ``ORWH'') is a 
     leader in the national commitment to research, research 
     training, and science-based education programs on women's 
     health and sex differences research;
       Whereas the ORWH was originally established in 1990 in 
     response to congressional, scientific, and advocacy concerns 
     regarding the lack of systemic and consistent inclusion of 
     women in NIH-funded clinical research and the lack of 
     scientific data and information regarding women's health;
       Whereas the ORWH has made significant progress in 
     developing and implementing policies to ensure the inclusion 
     of women in NIH clinical research and, in this manner, has 
     encouraged the increased reporting in scientific literature 
     of sex- and gender-related factors in health and clinical 
     trial analysis;
       Whereas the ORWH initiated the ``Building Interdisciplinary 
     Research Careers in Women's Health'' program in 1999 and has 
     supported the career development and advancement of 
     approximately 400 early-stage research scientists to become 
     independent researchers and obtain academic promotions at 
     major research institutions throughout the United States;
       Whereas the ORWH initiated the ``Specialized Centers of 
     Research on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women's Health'' 
     program in 2002 to support interdisciplinary and sex 
     differences research, including basic, translational, and 
     clinical investigations, by accomplished scientists;
       Whereas in 2009, the scientists participating in the 
     ``Specialized Centers of Research on Sex and Gender Factors 
     Affecting Women's Health'' program published 116 journal 
     articles, 176 abstracts, and 63 other publications;
       Whereas the ORWH collaborates with NIH Institutes and 
     Centers to support basic, clinical, population, and 
     translational research in laboratory, clinical, and community 
     settings throughout the United States;
       Whereas the ORWH pursues research efforts to benefit all 
     individuals burdened by diseases and disorders that are 
     within the scope of the mission of the ORWH, including men, 
     women, older and younger adults, children, minority 
     populations who are disproportionately affected by certain 
     diseases, people from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds, 
     and other understudied or underrepresented populations;
       Whereas ORWH-supported research has dramatically increased 
     vital understanding of sex differences research, from single 
     cells to multiple biological systems and mechanisms, and has 
     prompted sex differences research in the fields of 
     endocrinology, immunology, epigenetics, systems biology, and 
     neuroscience, as well as in new technology-enabled fields 
     such as genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics;
       Whereas research conducted and supported by the ORWH has 
     been instrumental in revolutionizing policies, research, and 
     programs focusing on the health, prevention, diagnostic, and 
     treatment strategies for girls, women, and their families, 
     leading to remarkable improvements in health and quality of 
     life;
       Whereas the ORWH sponsors education and outreach programs, 
     with materials tailored for diverse audiences, to improve 
     women's health by disseminating science-based information to 
     women and their families, those at risk for disease, health 
     care educators, and the general public;
       Whereas the ORWH has initiated or participated in 
     collaborative and coordinated research efforts and science-
     based public education programs in order to maximize the 
     Federal investment in research and synergize expertise across 
     the NIH, with other Federal agencies, and with public and 
     private organizations;
       Whereas the ORWH has a farsighted research agenda for the 
     next decade entitled ``Moving Into the Future With New 
     Dimensions and Strategies: A Vision for 2020 for Women's 
     Health Research'' that is based on the culmination of a 2-
     year strategic planning process, involving more than 1,500 
     leading scientists, advocates for women's health, public 
     policy experts, health care providers, Federal, State, and 
     local elected officials, and the general public in 5 regional 
     scientific meetings;
       Whereas the ORWH research agenda is visionary and addresses 
     the 6 major goals of--
       (1) increasing the study of sex differences in basic 
     research studies;
       (2) incorporating findings of sex differences in the design 
     and application of new technologies, medical devices, and 
     therapeutic drugs;
       (3) actualizing personalized prevention, diagnostics, and 
     therapeutics for girls and women;

[[Page S8556]]

       (4) creating strategic alliances and partnerships in order 
     to maximize the national and international impact of research 
     on women's health;
       (5) developing and implementing new communication and 
     social networking technologies to increase understanding and 
     appreciation of research on women's health; and
       (6) employing innovative strategies to build a well-
     trained, diverse, and vibrant women's health research 
     workforce; and

       Whereas ORWH-supported initiatives and programs continue to 
     make strides in addressing the expanded concepts of women's 
     health across the entire lifespan of a woman, while 
     continuing to explore understudied areas of reproductive 
     health and the menopausal transition, developing distinct 
     research career paths for investigators in women's health, 
     sex differences, and interdisciplinary research, increasing 
     the number of investigator-initiated women's health research 
     studies in areas such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, 
     musculoskeletal and immune disorders, and mental health and 
     substance abuse, and increasing the scientific knowledge on 
     the health, diseases, disorders, and conditions that affect 
     diverse populations of women: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the 20th anniversary of the National 
     Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women's Health 
     (referred to in this resolution as the ``ORWH'');
       (2) commends the ORWH for its leadership in women's health 
     research, research training, and science-based education 
     programs;
       (3) recognizes ORWH-supported scientists whose studies have 
     improved women's health and whose research continues to yield 
     promising discoveries;
       (4) recognizes the volunteers who participate in clinical 
     studies and the patient and professional health organizations 
     that contribute to the shared research goals of preventing, 
     treating, and curing the diseases and disorders within the 
     scope of the mission of the ORWH; and
       (5) reaffirms the support of the Senate for the ORWH and 
     the continued commitment of the ORWH to carrying out research 
     to improve women's health.

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