The 2018 Helen I. Moorehead-Laurencin, MD, Sex and Gender Research Forum was held on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at Gerri C. LeBow Hall. This interactive, university-wide forum highlighted Drexel University’s multidisciplinary research focused on sex and gender in local, national and global contexts. Coinciding with International Women’s Day and presented by the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership in the College of Medicine, the forum addressed topics such as weight stigma, maternal mental health, women’s risk of drug overdose, transgender health and many more. Attendees represented 13 colleges or schools at Drexel as well community members, showcasing the diverse range of interest in sex and gender topics.

Keynote speakers included Janine Austin Clayton, MD, director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health; Kathrin Zippel, PhD, associate professor at Northeastern University, and Mary Anne Delaney, MD, professor of psychiatry at Drexel. These speakers addressed a range of topics, including the state of women’s health research, women in global science, and adolescent mental health and social media.

Presentations from Drexel University faculty and students also included flash talks, research talks, a panel discussion and a virtual poster session. Student poster award winners included two graduate students in the Department of Psychology: Victoria Grunberg and Gabrielle Russo.

The Sex and Gender Research Forum Steering Committee was chaired by Pamela A. Geller, PhD, associate professor of psychology. The forum was presented by Drexel’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership and also sponsored by Drexel University’s Office of the Provost, College of Medicine, Office of Research, Office of International Programs, School of Education, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Department of Psychology, Women's and Gender Studies Program, Maternal and Child Health Program, College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Laurencin Family Foundation and the Doris Willig, MD Endowment.