Medicine Grand Rounds, Melina Kibbe, “Sex Bias in Biomedical and Clinical Research”

Melina R. Kibbe is the Zack D. Owens Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery. She also is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Prior to UNC, Dr. Kibbe was faculty at Northwestern University for 13 years where she also served as the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Surgery and as Deputy Director of the Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology. Clinically, Dr. Kibbe has significant experience with both open and endovascular surgery, including the treatment of carotid stenosis, peripheral vascular disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysms. She is board certified in general and vascular surgery and is RVT and RPVI certified by ARDMS.

Dr. Kibbe has been a strong advocate for sex inclusion in biomedical research. She was interviewed by Leslie Stahl for 60 Minutes in February 2014 on this topic, and later appeared on The Colbert Report. Her publications on the presence of sex bias in surgical research gained much media attention nationally and internationally, and resulted in policy development with the National Institutes of Health, the Government Accountability Organization (GAO), and the FDA. In addition, a bill has been introduced into the House, “Research for All Act of 2015,” which hopefully will be voted into law.