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Researchers at the Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) investigate conditions unique to women, along with those that affect women in a different or disproportionate manner, to assess gender differences in treatment as well as prevention. CWHR researchers work in a collaborative manner with researchers from multiple disciplines to advance the understanding and treatment of women’s health conditions, while simultaneously maintaining a unique focus on obstetric, gynecological and maternal-infant health.

By working with CWHR you have the potential to not only benefit from working with one of the top research universities in the country, but you will have access to a research team committed to success. The Center’s women’s health research team has clinical trial experience across a wide range of therapeutic areas. The UNC infrastructure of regulatory specialists, experienced recruitment teams, and networks of clinical research coordinators ensures unparalleled clinical trial support. The Office of Clinical Trials serves as a research hub for coordinating contracts, resources, and regulatory documents. There are five outstanding health science schools on campus (medicine, pharmacy, dental, nursing and public health), as well as centers and institutes that bring together interdisciplinary teams to focus on significant areas of research.

Researchers at the CWHR have a substantial population from which to recruit patients for clinical trials, including:

  • More than 38,000 OB/GYN clinic visits
  • Approximately 8,000 urogynecology visits
  • More than 6,000 gynecologic oncology visits
  • More than 1,500 gynecologic surgery cases
  • More than 900 gynecologic oncology cases treated
  • More than 900 cervical dysplasia patients treated
  • Patients from all 100 North Carolina counties and throughout the Southeast receive care at UNC Hospitals. This 803-bed facility cares for more than 37,000 patients each year.
  • More than 3,500 new Tar Heels are born each year at UNC Hospitals. Since 2002, N.C. Children’s Hospital and N.C. Women’s Hospital welcomes new babies and their families into the state-of-the-art facilities designed to offer high-quality health care in a comfortable, family-friendly environment.

With partnerships and clinics across North Carolina, there is the collaborative potential with a wider range of OB/GYN clinics. Carolina Data Warehouse allows the identification of study populations through the analysis of patient records. There are over 2 million patient records, with over 11 million diagnoses covering mid-2004 to April 2014 when UNC transferred to the Epic System. Within Epic, UNC’s current patient records system, that repository of data researchers have access to continues to grow rapidly.

Our women’s health-related clinical expertise encompasses a diverse range of indications, including:

  • Amenorrhea
  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome
  • Bacterial Vaginosis
  • Cervical Dysplasia
  • Chronic Pelvic Pain
  • Contraception
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Endometrial Disorders
  • Female Sexual Function Disorders
  • Hormone Therapy
  • HPV
  • Menopause
  • Miscarriage
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  • Postpartum
  • Depression
  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Uterine Fibroids

Costs associated with conducting a clinical trial through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are listed on the Office of Clinical Trials Budget Development website, or may be obtained by contacting CWHR to initiate a project.


To partner with the Center for Women’s Health Research, please contact cwhr@unc.edu.