Understanding how ovarian health declines during menopause
Official title: Utilizing spatially-informed cell-specific multicellular genome-scale metabolic models to unveil the mechanisms that regulate the decline of the ovarian reserve
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-10950490 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how menopause affects women's lives and aims to find better ways to predict when it starts and how long it lasts, using advanced models to understand the changes happening in the ovaries, all to help improve women's health during this transition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $625,898 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG088610-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10950490 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are women approaching menopause or experiencing symptoms related to the menopause transition.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are post-menopausal or those who do not experience menopause-related symptoms may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the menopause transition, which can last several years and significantly impact women's quality of life. By utilizing advanced metabolic models, the study aims to identify the onset and duration of menopause more accurately than current clinical tools. It focuses on the complex interactions between different cell types in the ovaries and how these contribute to the decline in reproductive potential. The goal is to uncover new biomarkers that can help predict menopause-related changes and improve women's health outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better predictions and management of menopause, improving the quality of life for women during this transition.
How similar studies have gone: While there has been research on menopause, this approach using genome-scale metabolic models is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Penalver Bernabe, Beatriz — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Penalver Bernabe, Beatriz
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.