CWHR History | Center for Women's Health Research at UNC

CWHR moved to Southern Village, a mile south of campus, in 2009.

The North Carolina Program for Women’s Health Research was founded in 2000 under the auspices of the UNC Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The previous director, Dr. Katherine Hartmann, and a small staff established the program in its former location at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.

As the Center grew, a decision was reached to officially change CWHR from a departmental program to a center within the UNC School of Medicine. The Center for Women’s Health Research at UNC, also referred to as CWHR adopted its new name in 2004.

In November 2008, Dr. Wendy Brewster began as the new director and in February 2009, CWHR moved to its present offices in Southern Village. A new vision and mission were crafted, focusing on increasing research collaborations, enhancing existing research efforts in all areas of women’s health and wellness, identifying new areas for research, and strengthening the measurement of long-term improvement of the health of the women of North Carolina.

Since 2004, Center grants have secured over $110 million in funding. Organizations we have worked with include the National Institutes of health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and other federal agencies, private foundations, and multiple pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical trials.