Women's Rx Newsletter, SPRING 2002
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Women's Rx Newsletter, SPRING 2002 |
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Women in Science
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women in science This column highlights women at UCLA who have made contributions to the field of science. Some of these women will be well known; others may be less visible, but their contributions equally significant. This issue’s profile is of Dr. Karen Duvall Karen Duvall, Associate Director of the UCLA Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Program is one of the prominent “women in science” at UCLA. She is last year’s recipient of the Katherine E. Rogers Scholar Award for Excellence in Women's Cancer Research and currently the Principal Investigator of the research study on the Effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Breast Nipple Aspirate Fluid. For more information, or to participate in this study, call (310) 206-8531. The Effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Breast Nipple Aspirate Fluid study examines whether hormone replacement therapy alters the fluid in the ducts of the breast. The cells within this fluid will be analyzed in order to detect signs of abnormality. Dr. Duvall is also involved in a follow-up study on women who underwent ductal lavage in order to develop promising detection methods that will offer women more information regarding their breast cancer risk. Dr. Duvall attended Johns Hopkins University in order to take advantage of the extensive academic and medical research environment. After observing recurring chronic disease cases during her residency in general medicine, she became interested in preventative medicine. Dr. Duvall also attended at the High Risk Breast Program in the Revlon/UCLA Breast Center with Dr. Patricia Ganz, who mentored her into a clinical research career in breast cancer prevention. Dr. Duvall not only contributes to science but also to the community through her fundraising activities in local charities and her children's schools. She is happily married to Dr. Gerald Burke, Chief of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA and has two children, Jonathan and Kirsten. Dr. Duvall feels that the challenges facing women in medicine are real and unique; it is possible, but not without difficulty, to achieve a successful balance of family and career. As a physician, one of her main goals is to find a non-invasive earlier detection method for women at high risk for breast cancer, which is superior to the current methods such as mammography and clinical breast exam. Dr. Duvall also focuses on mentoring young women who have chosen to enter the field of medicine. She feels that it is imperative for all female physicians to continue to support and foster the careers of young women physicians.
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