Population Council Research that makes a difference

Population Council Scientist Receives Recognition
for Her Research on Progestogen

NEW YORK, NY (22 October 2008) — Régine Sitruk-Ware, Population Council executive director of research and development, received the North American Menopause Society (NAMS)/Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. Progestogen Research Award during NAMS’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, on 26 September.

“I’m pleased and grateful to NAMS to be given this honor. I have worked toward a deeper understanding of the function and impact of progesterone and progestins on women’s reproductive health throughout my career,” says Sitruk-Ware. “Right now it’s especially important to focus on the science of menopause. There has been much fear and confusion about the role of hormonal therapy, much of which is driven by myth and misunderstanding. The research that I and other scientists around the world have done indicates that hormone therapy can be a useful tool for helping women to stay healthy after entering into menopause, if the right treatment is selected for each individual woman according to her medical history.”

According to NAMS, the award recognizes an individual whose research has made a significant contribution to the understanding of progestogen in the health of perimenopausal or postmenopausal women. (Progestogens are natural or artificial hormones that have the same impact as progesterone.) Sitruk-Ware, a reproductive endocrinologist, supervises basic research in reproductive biology, preclinical research, and clinical development of new molecules at the Population Council. She is also an advisor to US government agencies and international health organizations and is a founding member and current general secretary of the International Menopause Society.

Prior to joining the Population Council, she was a professor and researcher at the University of Paris and later directed research and development for the pharmaceutical industry. Sitruk-Ware has written eight books and more than 250 articles and reviews, mostly dealing with men’s and women’s health care issues.

---

About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issues—from stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, we work with our partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies that improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization governed by an international board of trustees.

###

Media contacts

Diane Rubino: drubino@popcouncil.org; +1 212 339 0617